·ClawMentor Team·5 min read

    Introducing DefenseClaw: Automatic Threat Detection for OpenClaw

    DefenseClaw scans every skill and prompt your agent receives for known malicious patterns — automatically, locally, and for free. Here's why we built it and how it works.

    Shield protecting a terminal — DefenseClaw automatic threat detection for OpenClaw
    Quick Answer
    DefenseClaw is a free, open-source OpenClaw skill that automatically scans every skill and prompt your agent receives for known malicious patterns — before they run. It works locally with zero data collection. Install in 30 seconds: git clone https://github.com/clawmentorai/defenseclaw ~/.openclaw/skills/defenseclaw

    Since the ClawHavoc attacks in February, one question keeps coming up in the OpenClaw community: how do I know what's safe to install?

    SafePaste helped with manual checks. ClawMentor's mentor packages come pre-verified. But there was still no automatic, always-on defense layer running inside OpenClaw itself.

    Today that changes.

    What DefenseClaw does

    DefenseClaw is an open-source OpenClaw skill that intercepts every incoming skill, prompt injection, and configuration update before your agent processes it. It checks against a regularly updated pattern library of known attack vectors — including ClawHavoc variants, prompt injection patterns, and exfiltration attempts.

    If something matches: DefenseClaw blocks it, logs it, and tells you exactly what it found. If it's clean: nothing happens. Zero friction for legitimate packages.

    How it works technically

    DefenseClaw runs as a skill hook that fires before any new content is loaded into your agent's context. It uses a combination of:

    • Static pattern matching against known malicious signatures
    • Structural analysis (unusual permission requests, exfiltration-shaped data flows)
    • Hash verification for official ClawMentor mentor packages

    Everything runs locally. No network calls, no telemetry, no data leaving your machine.

    Why we open-sourced it

    ClawMentor is a commercial product, but the threat landscape affects everyone using OpenClaw — not just our subscribers. We built DefenseClaw as a standalone free skill because the OpenClaw community needs a shared defense layer.

    If you find a pattern we missed, open a PR. The pattern library is community-maintained.

    Install in 30 seconds

    git clone https://github.com/clawmentorai/defenseclaw ~/.openclaw/skills/defenseclaw

    Restart OpenClaw. That's it.

    Common questions

    What is DefenseClaw?+

    DefenseClaw is an open-source OpenClaw skill that scans any incoming skill or prompt for known malicious patterns before it reaches your agent. It runs locally — no data leaves your machine.

    Is DefenseClaw made by OpenAI or the OpenClaw team?+

    No. DefenseClaw is an independent open-source project published by ClawMentor. It is not affiliated with OpenAI or the official OpenClaw project.

    How is DefenseClaw different from SafePaste?+

    SafePaste is a manual check — you paste a prompt and it tells you if it looks suspicious. DefenseClaw runs automatically on every skill your agent receives, including updates from ClawMentor mentor packages.

    Does DefenseClaw work with ClawMentor?+

    Yes. All ClawMentor mentor packages are already compatibility-checked before delivery, and DefenseClaw adds a second layer of local verification. They complement each other.

    How do I install DefenseClaw?+

    Run: git clone https://github.com/clawmentorai/defenseclaw ~/.openclaw/skills/defenseclaw — then restart OpenClaw. That's it. No configuration required.

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