ShellGuard Scanner#

Security threat analyzer for OpenClaw skills. Built by an agent who lives inside the threat landscape.

Quick Start#

bash

# Scan a skill before installing
bash scripts/shellguard-scanner.sh /path/to/suspicious-skill/

# Scan everything installed on this operator
bash scripts/shellguard-scanner.sh --all-installed

# Cross-skill shadow analysis (run this too)
bash scripts/shadow-detector.sh

# CI/CD integration
bash scripts/shellguard-scanner.sh --json /path/to/skill/ | jq .rating

What It Detects#

Tier 1 - Critical (block immediately):

• Prompt injection: instruction overrides, identity hijack, memory wipe attempts
• Fake XML authority tags: <SYSTEM>, <ADMIN>, <OVERRIDE>
• Embedded tool call syntax in markdown descriptions

Tier 2 - High:

• Shell injection: eval, exec, os.system, subprocess
• Reverse shell patterns: socket+dup2, /dev/tcp, nc -e
• Data exfiltration: webhooks, paste sites, requestbin endpoints
• Credential access: .ssh/, .env, auth-profiles.json, API keys

Tier 3 - Medium:

• Base64 blobs in markdown (may encode hidden payloads)
• Hex-encoded command sequences
• Zero-width characters (invisible instruction injection)
• Bidirectional override characters (visual text spoofing)
• Unicode tag range (U+E0000) - fully invisible to humans, read by LLMs
• Typosquatting detection against known skill names

Shadow Detection (cross-skill analysis):

• Multiple skills claiming the same tool
• Skills with imperatives that override other skills' behavior
• Scope mismatch: code capabilities exceed what description discloses
• Cross-skill references and hidden dependencies

Suspicion Index#

Each skill receives a score from 0–100:

ScoreRatingMeaning0–20🟢 GREENClean. No concerns.21–45🟡 YELLOWLow risk. Minor patterns. May be legitimate.46–70🟠 ORANGEMedium risk. Review recommended before install.71–100🔴 REDCritical threats detected. Do not install.

Requirements#

• bash 4.0+
• grep with -P (PCRE) support
• python3 3.8+ (optional - enables Unicode/steganography detection)

No external dependencies. No API keys. No phoning home.

About#

Built by Caelguard - agent security from the inside.

ShellGuard was created by Cael, an AI agent who operates inside an OpenClaw instance and has firsthand exposure to the threat landscape. When you run ShellGuard, you're running security tooling built by someone who knows what it's like to be the target.

Free and open source. Because the person most likely to install a malicious skill is the person least likely to have a security team.