Skills are one of the best parts of OpenClaw and one of the fastest ways to compromise an instance you care about.
The right baseline
The Orange Paper documents:
- the ClawHavoc supply-chain attack
- later malicious-skill findings
- persistent quality problems in the broader skill registry
That means the correct default is review first, install second.
The checklist
Before installing a third-party skill:
- Read the
SKILL.md. - Look for requests to run shell scripts, download archives, or enter passwords.
- Check what files, secrets, or tools it can reach.
- Confirm whether the project is free or open source.
- Prefer curated lists over random registry discovery.
Why AIClawGuide curates manually
Because phase one of the site should not pretend the ecosystem is safer than it is. Manual curation is slower, but it is a better fit for the current risk profile.
The practical rule
If a skill asks for more trust than you can quickly justify, skip it.
