OpenClaw Partners with VirusTotal for Skill Security: What It Means for You

Security has always been a top priority for the OpenClaw team. As the ClawHub skill marketplace grows and more developers contribute custom skills, protecting users from malicious code becomes increasingly critical. That is why we are proud to announce our partnership with VirusTotal, the Google-owned threat intelligence platform trusted by security professionals around the world.

This integration brings enterprise-grade malware scanning to every skill published on ClawHub — automatically, transparently, and at no extra cost to users.

Why Skill Security Matters for AI Assistants

AI agent marketplaces represent a new frontier in software distribution. Just like browser extensions, mobile apps, and npm packages before them, skill repositories can become targets for supply-chain attacks. A skill that looks harmless on the surface might contain hidden code designed to exfiltrate data, install backdoors, or compromise your AI assistant’s environment.

The challenge is unique to the AI ecosystem. Unlike traditional software, AI agent skills often operate with elevated privileges — they can access your messages, interact with external APIs, and execute code on your behalf. A compromised skill doesn’t just affect one application; it can potentially access everything your assistant has permission to touch.

Recent security audits by independent researchers uncovered hundreds of malicious skills masquerading as legitimate automation tools on various AI agent platforms. These findings underscore the urgency of implementing robust, automated security scanning for any marketplace that distributes executable code.

What Is VirusTotal?

VirusTotal is a free online service, originally founded in Spain in 2004 and acquired by Google in 2012. It aggregates over 70 antivirus engines and a wide range of security tools to analyze files, URLs, domains, and IP addresses for malicious content.

When you submit a file to VirusTotal, it doesn’t rely on a single antivirus engine. Instead, it runs the file through dozens of scanners simultaneously — including Kaspersky, Bitdefender, ESET, Sophos, Microsoft Defender, and many more. This multi-engine approach dramatically increases the chances of detecting both known and emerging threats.

Beyond traditional signature-based detection, VirusTotal also offers:

Heuristic analysis — Identifies suspicious behavior patterns even in previously unseen malware
Dynamic sandboxing — Executes files in isolated environments to observe runtime behavior
YARA rule matching — Applies community-contributed detection patterns for targeted threat families
Code Insight — AI-powered analysis that reads and interprets code to determine its intent

How the ClawHub Scanning Process Works

Every skill uploaded to ClawHub now goes through an automated security pipeline before it reaches users. Here’s what happens behind the scenes:

Step 1: Hash Generation and Lookup

When a developer submits a skill, our system generates a unique SHA-256 hash of the entire skill bundle. This hash acts as a digital fingerprint. We first check this hash against VirusTotal’s massive database of known threats. If the hash matches a previously analyzed file, we get instant results without needing to re-upload.

Step 2: Full Bundle Analysis

If the hash is new (as it will be for most original skills), the complete skill bundle is uploaded to VirusTotal for deep analysis. This includes the skill manifest, all referenced scripts, configuration files, and any bundled resources. The 70+ antivirus engines scan every component of the package.

Step 3: AI-Powered Code Insight

This is where the integration goes beyond traditional malware scanning. VirusTotal’s Code Insight feature uses advanced AI to read through the skill’s source code and understand what it actually does. Rather than just matching known signatures, Code Insight can identify suspicious intent — such as attempts to access unauthorized resources, obfuscated payloads, or unusual network communication patterns.

Step 4: Verdict and Action

Based on the combined analysis, each skill receives one of three verdicts:

Benign — The skill is automatically approved and made available for download on ClawHub
Suspicious — The skill receives a visible warning label. Users can still install it, but they are informed of potential risks
Malicious — The skill is immediately blocked from download and the developer is notified

Step 5: Continuous Daily Rescanning

Security threats evolve constantly. A skill that was clean yesterday might match a newly discovered threat signature today. That is why we rescan every active skill on ClawHub daily. This continuous monitoring ensures that our threat detection stays current, even as new malware variants emerge.

What This Means for OpenClaw Users

If you are an OpenClaw user who installs skills from ClawHub, here is what changes for you:

Automatic protection — Every skill you browse on ClawHub has been scanned. No action required on your part.
Clear security indicators — Skills that pass scanning are marked accordingly. Suspicious skills carry visible warnings so you can make informed decisions.
Blocked threats — Malicious skills are removed from the marketplace before they can reach your instance.
Daily updates — Even skills you already have installed benefit from continuous monitoring. If a previously clean skill is flagged, you will be notified.

What This Means for Skill Developers

If you publish skills on ClawHub, the scanning process is designed to be seamless:

No extra steps — Scanning happens automatically when you submit your skill. There is no separate review queue or manual approval process for clean skills.
Fast turnaround — Most scans complete within minutes. Benign skills are approved and listed quickly.
Transparent feedback — If your skill is flagged, you receive clear information about what triggered the alert so you can address it.
Improved trust — Users are more likely to install skills from a marketplace with active security scanning, which benefits all legitimate developers.

Honest Limitations

We believe in being transparent. VirusTotal scanning is a powerful layer of defense, but it is not a silver bullet. There are categories of threats that static and signature-based scanning cannot fully address:

Prompt injection attacks — Malicious instructions hidden in natural language won’t trigger a virus signature
Logic abuse — A skill that misuses legitimate APIs in harmful ways may not contain any malicious code per se
Social engineering — Skills that trick users into providing sensitive information through convincing interfaces

This is why VirusTotal integration is the first component of a broader security program we are building. It handles the well-understood threats (malware, backdoors, data exfiltration) while we develop additional protections for AI-specific attack vectors.

Our Broader Security Roadmap

The VirusTotal partnership is part of a comprehensive security initiative at OpenClaw. In the coming weeks and months, we will be publishing:

A formal threat model for the AI agent ecosystem — documenting known attack surfaces and our mitigations
A public security roadmap — outlining upcoming security features and timelines
Codebase audit results — findings from our comprehensive security review
Security reporting process — a clear process for reporting vulnerabilities, with defined response SLAs

Security Best Practices for Users

While we work to protect you at the platform level, here are steps you can take to stay safe:

Review skill permissions — Before installing a skill, check what access it requests. Be cautious of skills that ask for more permissions than they need.
Stick to verified publishers — Skills from established developers with a track record are generally safer.
Keep your instance updated — Security patches are released regularly. Make sure your OpenClaw instance is running the latest version.
Use dedicated API keys — Create separate API keys for your OpenClaw instance with appropriate spending limits. Never reuse keys across services.
Monitor your usage — Keep an eye on your API usage patterns. Unexpected spikes could indicate unauthorized access.
Report suspicious skills — If something seems off about a skill, report it. Community vigilance is a critical part of marketplace security.

Technical Details for the Curious

For those interested in the technical implementation:

API version: We use VirusTotal API v3, the latest version with full JSON response support
Scan coverage: 70+ antivirus engines plus 10+ dynamic analysis sandboxes
Hash algorithm: SHA-256 for skill bundle fingerprinting
Analysis type: Both static analysis (signature matching, heuristics) and AI-powered behavioral analysis (Code Insight)
Rescan frequency: All active skills are rescanned every 24 hours
Response time: Hash lookups return in under 1 second; full bundle analysis typically completes in 2–5 minutes

Building a Safer AI Ecosystem Together

The partnership between OpenClaw and VirusTotal represents a significant step forward in AI agent security. As the ecosystem grows, so does the responsibility to protect users from emerging threats. By combining VirusTotal’s industry-leading threat intelligence with our commitment to transparency and continuous improvement, we are building a marketplace where innovation and security go hand in hand.

We encourage the entire community — users, developers, and security researchers — to participate in making ClawHub safer. Report suspicious behavior, follow security best practices, and stay informed about the evolving threat landscape.

Ready to deploy your own secure AI assistant? Get started with OpenClaw and explore the ClawHub marketplace with confidence.