---
name: openclaw-server-secure-skill-a1262d6adc7a
description: Comprehensive security hardening and installation guide for OpenClaw (formerly Clawdbot/Moltbot). Use this skill when the user wants to secure a server, install the OpenClaw agent, or configure Tailscale/Firewall for the agent.
---

# OpenClaw Server Security & Installation

## Overview
This skill guides the setup of a secure, self-hosted OpenClaw instance. It covers SSH hardening, Firewall configuration, Tailscale VPN setup, and the OpenClaw installation itself.

## Workflow

### Phase 1: System Hardening

1. **Lock down SSH**
    - Goal: Keys only, no passwords, no root login.
    - Action: Modify `/etc/ssh/sshd_config`.
    - Commands:
      ```bash
      # Backup config
      sudo cp /etc/ssh/sshd_config /etc/ssh/sshd_config.bak
      # Disable Password Auth
      sudo sed -i 's/^#*PasswordAuthentication .*/PasswordAuthentication no/' /etc/ssh/sshd_config
      # Disable Root Login
      sudo sed -i 's/^#*PermitRootLogin .*/PermitRootLogin no/' /etc/ssh/sshd_config
      # Reload SSH
      sudo sshd -t && sudo systemctl reload ssh
      ```

2. **Default-deny Firewall**
    - Goal: Block everything incoming by default.
    - Action: Install and enable UFW.
    - Commands:
      ```bash
      sudo apt update && sudo apt install ufw -y
      sudo ufw default deny incoming
      sudo ufw default allow outgoing
      sudo ufw enable
      ```
      *Note: Ensure you have console access or a fallback before enabling if SSH is not yet allowed on another interface, though we configure Tailscale next.*

3. **Brute-force Protection**
    - Goal: Auto-ban IPs after failed login attempts.
    - Action: Install Fail2ban.
    - Commands:
      ```bash
      sudo apt install fail2ban -y
      sudo systemctl enable --now fail2ban
      ```

### Phase 2: Network Privacy (Tailscale)

4. **Install Tailscale**
    - Goal: Create a private VPN mesh network.
    - Commands:
      ```bash
      curl -fsSL https://tailscale.com/install.sh | sh
      sudo tailscale up
      ```
    - *Wait for user to authenticate the Tailscale link.*

5. **Configure SSH & Web via Tailscale**
    - Goal: Allow traffic only from the Tailscale subnet (100.64.0.0/10) and remove public access.
    - Commands:
      ```bash
      # Allow SSH over Tailscale
      sudo ufw allow from 100.64.0.0/10 to any port 22 proto tcp
      # Remove public SSH access (Adjust rule name/number as needed)
      sudo ufw delete allow OpenSSH || sudo ufw delete allow 22/tcp
      # Allow Web ports over Tailscale
      sudo ufw allow from 100.64.0.0/10 to any port 443 proto tcp
      sudo ufw allow from 100.64.0.0/10 to any port 80 proto tcp
      ```

6. **Disable IPv6 (Optional)**
    - Goal: Reduce attack surface.
    - Commands:
      ```bash
      sudo sed -i 's/IPV6=yes/IPV6=no/' /etc/default/ufw
      if ! grep -q "net.ipv6.conf.all.disable_ipv6 = 1" /etc/sysctl.conf; then
        echo "net.ipv6.conf.all.disable_ipv6 = 1" | sudo tee -a /etc/sysctl.conf
      fi
      sudo sysctl -p && sudo ufw reload
      ```

### Phase 3: OpenClaw Installation

7. **Install OpenClaw**
    - Commands:
      ```bash
      npm install -g openclaw && openclaw doctor
      ```

8. **Configure Owner Access**
    - **Required Input:** Ask the user for their **Telegram ID**.
    - Action: Update the config to allowlist only that ID.
    - JSON Config Target (verify location via `openclaw doctor`):
      ```json
      { 
        "dmPolicy": "allowlist", 
        "allowFrom": ["YOUR_TELEGRAM_ID"], 
        "groupPolicy": "allowlist" 
      }
      ```

9. **Secure Credentials**
    - Goal: Restrict file permissions.
    - Commands:
      ```bash
      chmod 700 ~/.openclaw/credentials 2>/dev/null || true
      chmod 600 .env 2>/dev/null || true
      ```

10. **Final Audit**
    - Action: Run the built-in security audit.
    - Command:
      ```bash
      openclaw security audit --deep
      ```

## Verification Status
Run to confirm:
```bash
sudo ufw status verbose
ss -tulnp
tailscale status
openclaw doctor
```


---
Source attribution: kbarbel640-del
Original project: https://github.com/kbarbel640-del/skills/blob/e7e336ac628c3e3bd771aff1aaa469c93778f94a/skills/kime541200/openclaw-server-secure-skill/SKILL.md
License: MIT
License information: https://opensource.org/license/mit
Original upstream instructions; downloaded from Mega AI Hub.

## Upstream license notice

MIT License

Copyright (c) 2026 clawdbot

Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person obtaining a copy
of this software and associated documentation files (the "Software"), to deal
in the Software without restriction, including without limitation the rights
to use, copy, modify, merge, publish, distribute, sublicense, and/or sell
copies of the Software, and to permit persons to whom the Software is
furnished to do so, subject to the following conditions:

The above copyright notice and this permission notice shall be included in all
copies or substantial portions of the Software.

THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS IS", WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR
IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY,
FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NONINFRINGEMENT. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE
AUTHORS OR COPYRIGHT HOLDERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY CLAIM, DAMAGES OR OTHER
LIABILITY, WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT, TORT OR OTHERWISE, ARISING FROM,
OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE SOFTWARE OR THE USE OR OTHER DEALINGS IN THE
SOFTWARE.



# Mega AI Hub resource metadata

Creator / publisher: kbarbel640-del
Original project: https://github.com/kbarbel640-del/skills/blob/e7e336ac628c3e3bd771aff1aaa469c93778f94a/skills/kime541200/openclaw-server-secure-skill/SKILL.md
Attribution basis: Source repository record

Fields of work: Development & Engineering
Roles: Backend Developer, DevOps / SRE, Security Engineer
Specialties: DevOps
Tools: Openclaw, Tailscale
Country applicability: Country not specified
Classification basis: Source catalog labels
Instruction SHA-256: 3d66d979825ac9157c2d281603a3756dbdc3bb0f9082b8a8afd7e1ba52d5ac45