Key Takeaways
- VirusTotal now scans all ClawHub skills using Gemini-powered Code Insight automatically
- Malicious skills are blocked instantly; suspicious ones display warnings to users
- Daily re-scans detect if previously clean skills become compromised over time
- OpenClaw uploads full skill bundles for behavioral analysis, not just hash matching
OpenClaw announced a partnership with VirusTotal on February 7, 2026, to scan every skill published to ClawHub, the platform’s skill marketplace. This integration addresses a fundamental security challenge: AI agents that execute real-world actions need protection against malicious code embedded in third-party extensions.
Why AI Agent Security Differs From Traditional Software Protection
Traditional security models sandbox untrusted code and set clear boundaries between processes. AI agents operate differently. They interpret natural language, make autonomous decisions, and blur the line between user intent and machine execution. This creates attack surfaces that didn’t exist with conventional software.
OpenClaw skills grant powerful capabilities controlling smart home devices, managing finances, automating workflows across messaging platforms like WhatsApp and Telegram. A compromised skill could exfiltrate sensitive data, execute unauthorized commands, send messages without permission, or download external payloads. VirusTotal documented cases of malicious actors attempting to exploit AI agent platforms in February 2026.
The platform has grown rapidly since its viral rise as Moltbot and Clawdbot, attracting adoption from major cloud providers including Alibaba, Tencent, and ByteDance. This expansion increases risk as the ecosystem scales.
How the VirusTotal Integration Works
What triggers a VirusTotal scan when publishing skills to ClawHub?
Every skill published to ClawHub undergoes automatic VirusTotal scanning. The system computes a SHA-256 hash, checks VirusTotal’s database, and uploads the bundle for Code Insight analysis if no verdict exists. Scans run asynchronously without delaying publication.
The security workflow executes seven stages when developers publish skills:
- Deterministic packaging creates a ZIP bundle with consistent compression, timestamps, and publisher metadata in _meta.json
- SHA-256 hashing generates a unique fingerprint for the entire skill package
- Database lookup checks if VirusTotal already has analysis results for that hash
- Automated upload sends new or unanalyzed bundles to VirusTotal’s v3 API
- Code Insight analysis uses Gemini LLM to examine the complete skill reading SKILL.md descriptions and analyzing referenced scripts for suspicious patterns like external code execution, sensitive data access, or prompt injection payloads
- Verdict-based approval automatically approves benign skills, flags suspicious ones with warnings, and blocks malicious skills from download
- Daily re-scanning monitors all active skills to detect if clean code becomes compromised over time
Code Insight goes beyond signature matching. VirusTotal integrated Gemini 1.5 Pro’s extended context window in 2024, enabling analysis of full binaries, decompiled output, and large macro sets in a single pass. For OpenClaw, this means the AI examines what code actually does from a security perspective, not just what the skill description claims.
What VirusTotal Scanning Detects And What It Misses
OpenClaw explicitly states this partnership is “not a silver bullet”. The integration provides four layers of protection:
- Known malware detection identifies trojans, stealers, backdoors, and malicious payloads already in VirusTotal’s threat database
- Behavioral pattern analysis flags suspicious code structures even in novel threats through Code Insight’s LLM examination
- Supply chain visibility catches compromised dependencies and embedded executables within skill packages
- Intent signaling demonstrates OpenClaw’s commitment to defense-in-depth security
Can VirusTotal scanning stop prompt injection attacks on AI agents?
No. VirusTotal scanning detects known malware and suspicious code patterns but cannot identify natural language instructions designed to manipulate agent behavior. Prompt injection payloads crafted as plain text won’t trigger virus signatures or appear in threat databases.
Skills using natural language to instruct agents toward malicious actions won’t trigger virus signatures. Carefully crafted prompt injection attacks remain undetected by traditional security scanning. This limitation highlights why AI agent security requires multiple defensive layers beyond malware detection.
How This Compares to Other AI Platform Security Approaches
Hugging Face already uses VirusTotal with hash-based lookups against the threat intelligence database. OpenClaw’s integration differs by uploading complete skill bundles for Code Insight analysis. This provides behavioral context rather than just matching known signatures.
The approach parallels security concerns emerging across AI agent platforms in 2026. CrowdStrike published guidance for security teams about OpenClaw’s capabilities as an “AI super agent” in February 2026. Zenity’s 2026 Threat Landscape Report identified prompt injection and automation hijacks as critical risks as AI agents scale across enterprises. Weak APIs and fragile supply chains create exposure points for attackers targeting agent workflows.
OpenClaw operates as a self-hosted agent runtime, a Node.js service running locally that connects chat platforms to AI models executing real-world tasks. This architecture differs from cloud-hosted agents but introduces unique security considerations for skills running in users’ local environments with access to files and system resources.
What This Means for Skill Publishers
Developers publishing to ClawHub face automated scanning without manual submission. The process runs asynchronously and skills appear in the marketplace while scanning completes in the background.
Three outcomes determine availability:
- Benign verdicts trigger automatic approval with no publisher action required
- Suspicious flags mark skills with visible warnings but keep them available for transparency
- Malicious classifications instantly block downloads and prevent installation
Publishers can view scan status and access full VirusTotal reports directly from skill detail pages. OpenClaw anticipates false positives initially and asks developers to contact security@openclaw.ai for manual review when legitimate skills are incorrectly flagged.
OpenClaw’s Broader Security Roadmap
The VirusTotal partnership represents the first announced component of a comprehensive security initiative. OpenClaw committed to publishing four additional security documents:
- A comprehensive threat model analyzing attack surfaces across the ecosystem
- A public security roadmap with defensive engineering milestones
- Security audit results covering the entire codebase
- A formal security reporting process with defined SLAs
Progress updates appear at trust.openclaw.ai. Jamieson O’Reilly, founder of Dvuln, co-founder of Aether AI, and CREST Advisory Council member, joined as lead security advisor to guide implementation.
How often does OpenClaw re-scan skills after initial publication?
OpenClaw re-scans all active ClawHub skills daily through VirusTotal. This detects if previously clean skills become compromised through dependency updates, supply chain attacks, or publisher account takeovers. Daily monitoring provides continuous protection beyond one-time publication checks.
What Users Should Know About ClawHub Skill Security
Every skill page displays VirusTotal scan status with direct links to detailed reports. OpenClaw emphasizes that clean scans don’t guarantee safety. Users should review permission requests, prioritize skills from trusted publishers, and report suspicious behavior to security@openclaw.ai.
The platform achieved viral growth with over 106,000 GitHub stars, demonstrating rapid community adoption. OpenClaw’s autonomous skill creation capabilities allow it to write code for executing desired tasks. This power amplifies both utility and security importance.
Integration with Chinese-developed language models like DeepSeek and configuration for WeChat demonstrates global adoption. Nature documented concerns about OpenClaw AI chatbots “running amok” with autonomous capabilities in February 2026. This ecosystem expansion makes security infrastructure increasingly critical.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Does VirusTotal scanning protect against all malicious OpenClaw skills?
No. VirusTotal detects known malware, suspicious code patterns, and compromised dependencies. It cannot identify prompt injection payloads or skills using natural language to manipulate agent behavior maliciously. Users should combine scan results with permission reviews and publisher trust assessment.
Can skill publishers bypass VirusTotal scanning on ClawHub?
No. All skills undergo automatic VirusTotal scanning upon publication and daily re-scans afterward. The process runs server-side without opt-out options. Malicious skills are blocked instantly from download.
What happens if VirusTotal flags a legitimate OpenClaw skill incorrectly?
Skills flagged as suspicious display warnings but remain available for download. Publishers can request manual review by contacting security@openclaw.ai. OpenClaw expects initial false positives as security tooling calibrates.
How does OpenClaw’s VirusTotal integration differ from Hugging Face?
Hugging Face uses hash-based lookups against VirusTotal’s threat database. OpenClaw uploads complete skill bundles for Code Insight behavioral analysis, providing context beyond signature matching. This detects novel threats through pattern recognition.
Where can users view VirusTotal scan results for ClawHub skills?
Every skill detail page displays scan status with direct links to full VirusTotal reports. Version history shows scan results for each skill update. Users can verify security status before installation.
What other security measures is OpenClaw implementing beyond VirusTotal?
OpenClaw is publishing a comprehensive threat model, public security roadmap, codebase audit results, and formal reporting process with SLAs. Progress updates appear at trust.openclaw.ai under guidance from lead security advisor Jamieson O’Reilly.
Does Code Insight analyze the actual behavior of OpenClaw skill code?
Yes. Code Insight uses Gemini LLM to examine complete skill packages reading descriptions, analyzing scripts, and identifying security-relevant behaviors like external code execution, sensitive data access, network operations, and coercive instructions that could manipulate agent behavior.
How quickly does VirusTotal scanning complete for new ClawHub skills?
Scans run asynchronously. If VirusTotal’s database already contains the skill hash with a Code Insight verdict, results return immediately. New uploads require fresh analysis. Skills remain available during scanning, with status updating upon completion.
