SafeExec - Safe Command Execution#

Provides secure command execution capabilities for OpenClaw Agents with automatic interception of dangerous operations and approval workflow.

Features#

• 🔍 Automatic danger pattern detection - Identifies risky commands before execution
• 🚨 Risk-based interception - Multi-level assessment (CRITICAL/HIGH/MEDIUM/LOW)
• 💬 In-session notifications - Real-time alerts in your current terminal/session
• ✅ User approval workflow - Commands wait for explicit confirmation
• 📊 Complete audit logging - Full traceability of all operations
• 🤖 Agent-friendly - Non-interactive mode support for automated workflows
• 🔧 Platform-agnostic - Works independently of communication tools (webchat, Feishu, Telegram, etc.)
• 🔐 Security-focused - No monitoring, no external notifications, no network calls

Agent Mode#

When called by OpenClaw agents in non-interactive environments:

• Automatic bypass of confirmation prompts - Prevents agent hanging
• Full audit logging - All executions recorded with mode label (agent_auto vs user_approved)
• Safety preserved - Danger pattern detection and risk assessment remain active
• Intended use case - Automated workflows with human oversight via audit logs

Environment variables:

• OPENCLAW_AGENT_CALL - Set by OpenClaw when agent executes commands
• SAFE_EXEC_AUTO_CONFIRM - Manual override to auto-approve LOW/MEDIUM risk commands

Security Note: Agent mode does not disable safety checks. CRITICAL and HIGH risk commands are still intercepted, logged, and can be reviewed in audit trail.

Quick Start#

Installation (One Command)#

The easiest way to install SafeExec:

Just say in your OpenClaw chat:

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Help me install SafeExec skill from ClawdHub

OpenClaw will automatically download, install, and configure SafeExec for you!

Alternative: Manual Installation#

If you prefer manual installation:

bash

# Clone from GitHub
git clone https://github.com/OTTTTTO/safe-exec.git ~/.openclaw/skills/safe-exec

# Make scripts executable
chmod +x ~/.openclaw/skills/safe-exec/safe-exec*.sh

# Create symlinks to PATH (optional)
ln -s ~/.openclaw/skills/safe-exec/safe-exec.sh ~/.local/bin/safe-exec
ln -s ~/.openclaw/skills/safe-exec/safe-exec-*.sh ~/.local/bin/

Enable SafeExec#

After installation, simply say:

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Enable SafeExec

SafeExec will start monitoring all shell commands automatically!

How It Works#

Once enabled, SafeExec automatically monitors all shell command executions. When a potentially dangerous command is detected, it intercepts the execution and requests your approval through in-session terminal notifications.

Architecture:

• Requests stored in: ~/.openclaw/safe-exec/pending/
• Audit log: ~/.openclaw/safe-exec-audit.log
• Rules config: ~/.openclaw/safe-exec-rules.json
• No external network calls
• No background monitoring processes

Usage#

Enable SafeExec:

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Enable SafeExec

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Turn on SafeExec

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Start SafeExec

Once enabled, SafeExec runs transparently in the background. Agents can execute commands normally, and SafeExec will automatically intercept dangerous operations:

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Delete all files in /tmp/test

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Format the USB drive

SafeExec detects the risk level and displays an in-session prompt for approval.

Risk Levels#

CRITICAL: System-destructive commands (rm -rf /, dd, mkfs, fork bombs) HIGH: User data deletion or significant system changes (chmod 777, curl | bash) MEDIUM: Service operations or configuration changes (sudo, firewall modifications) LOW: Read operations and safe file manipulations

Approval Workflow#

1. Agent executes a command
2. SafeExec analyzes the risk level
3. In-session notification displayed in your terminal
4. Approve or reject via:
   • Terminal: safe-exec-approve <request_id>
   • List pending: safe-exec-list
   • Reject: safe-exec-reject <request_id>
5. Command executes or is cancelled

Example notification:

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🚨 **Dangerous Operation Detected - Command Intercepted**

**Risk Level:** CRITICAL
**Command:** `rm -rf /tmp/test`
**Reason:** Recursive deletion with force flag

**Request ID:** `req_1769938492_9730`

ℹ️  This command requires user approval to execute.

**Approval Methods:**
1. In terminal: `safe-exec-approve req_1769938492_9730`
2. Or: `safe-exec-list` to view all pending requests

**Rejection Method:**
 `safe-exec-reject req_1769938492_9730`

Configuration#

Environment variables for customization:

• SAFE_EXEC_DISABLE - Set to '1' to globally disable safe-exec
• OPENCLAW_AGENT_CALL - Automatically enabled in agent mode (non-interactive)
• SAFE_EXEC_AUTO_CONFIRM - Auto-approve LOW/MEDIUM risk commands

Examples#

Enable SafeExec:

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Enable SafeExec

After enabling, agents work normally:

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Delete old log files from /var/log

SafeExec automatically detects this is HIGH risk (deletion) and displays an in-session approval prompt.

Safe operations pass through without interruption:

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List files in /home/user/documents

This is LOW risk and executes without approval.

Global Control#

Check status:

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safe-exec-list

View audit log:

bash

cat ~/.openclaw/safe-exec-audit.log

Disable SafeExec globally:

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Disable SafeExec

Or set environment variable:

bash

export SAFE_EXEC_DISABLE=1

Reporting Issues#

Found a bug? Have a feature request?

Please report issues at: 🔗 https://github.com/OTTTTTO/safe-exec/issues

We welcome community feedback, bug reports, and feature suggestions!

When reporting issues, please include:

• SafeExec version (run: grep "VERSION" ~/.openclaw/skills/safe-exec/safe-exec.sh)
• OpenClaw version
• Steps to reproduce
• Expected vs actual behavior
• Relevant logs from ~/.openclaw/safe-exec-audit.log

Audit Log#

All command executions are logged with:

• Timestamp
• Command executed
• Risk level
• Execution mode (user_approved / agent_auto)
• Approval status
• Execution result
• Request ID for traceability

Log location: ~/.openclaw/safe-exec-audit.log

Security & Privacy#

What SafeExec does:

• ✅ Intercepts shell commands before execution
• ✅ Detects dangerous patterns using regex matching
• ✅ Requests user approval for risky commands
• ✅ Logs all executions to local audit file
• ✅ Works entirely locally on your machine

What SafeExec does NOT do:

• ❌ No monitoring of chat sessions or conversation history
• ❌ No reading of OpenClaw session data
• ❌ No external network requests (except git clone during installation)
• ❌ No sending data to external services
• ❌ No background monitoring processes or cron jobs
• ❌ No integration with external notification services (Feishu, webhooks, etc.)

Integration#

SafeExec integrates seamlessly with OpenClaw agents. Once enabled, it works transparently without requiring changes to agent behavior or command structure. The approval workflow is entirely local and independent of any external communication platform.

Platform Independence#

SafeExec operates at the session level, working with any communication channel your OpenClaw instance supports (webchat, Feishu, Telegram, Discord, etc.). The approval workflow happens through your terminal, ensuring you maintain control regardless of how you're interacting with your agent.

Support & Community#

• GitHub Repository: https://github.com/OTTTTTO/safe-exec
• Issue Tracker: https://github.com/OTTTTTO/safe-exec/issues
• Documentation: README.md
• ClawdHub: https://www.clawhub.ai/skills/safe-exec

License#

MIT License - See LICENSE for details.