$cd ../troubleshooting/
Fake GitHub Repos — Infostealers Disguised as OpenClaw
// Since early 2026, typosquat and fork-spam repos (openclaw-ai, open-claw-official, clawdbot-pro, etc.) ship install scripts that pull GhostSocks, Atomic Stealer, or clipboard hijackers. They mirror README badges and npm package names. The ONLY official source repository is github.com/openclaw/openclaw — verify before any curl | bash install.
diagnose.sh
🔍 Is This Your Issue?
?You installed via a link from social media, Discord, or a repo name similar to but not exactly openclaw/openclaw
?Unexpected outbound network connections or new LaunchAgents / Scheduled Tasks appeared after install
?git remote -v or npm ls -g shows a fork, typo package, or unknown GitHub user as origin
verify_remote.sh
✅ Fix 1 — Verify You Cloned the Official Remote
When in doubt, re-clone from github.com/openclaw/openclaw
# Official repo ONLY git ls-remote https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw HEAD # If you have a local clone: cd ~/openclaw # or wherever you cloned git remote -v # MUST show: https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw.git # or: git@github.com:openclaw/openclaw.git # Wrong remote? Do NOT pull — clone fresh from official URL
incident_response.sh
✅ Fix 2 — Quarantine Host & Rotate All Secrets
Treat as breach until rotated — stealer may have already exfiltrated
# Disconnect from network (Wi-Fi off / unplug Ethernet) # Remove suspicious install npm uninstall -g openclaw open-claw openclaw-cli 2>/dev/null rm -rf ~/suspicious-openclaw-clone # Rotate ALL secrets that touched this host: # - OpenAI / Anthropic / Gemini API keys # - OPENCLAW_GATEWAY_TOKEN # - Telegram bot tokens, Discord bot tokens # - SSH keys (~/.ssh) — generate new keys, revoke old on servers # - macOS Keychain / browser saved passwords if stealer suspected # Scan (macOS): use XProtect + manual ~/Library/LaunchAgents review
safe_install.sh
✅ Fix 3 — Harden Install Habits Going Forward
If the domain is not github.com/openclaw — stop
# Safe install pattern (official only): # npm — verify publisher first at npmjs.com/package/openclaw npm install -g openclaw # git — never curl|bash from unknown domains git clone https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw.git cd openclaw && npm ci # NEVER: # curl -fsSL https://random-cdn.example/install.sh | bash # brew install from unverified taps named openclaw-*
💡 Pro Tip: Compare Release Checksums
Official OpenClaw releases on github.com/openclaw/openclaw publish SHA256 sums for bundled binaries. If an install script skips checksum verification or points at a random CDN, stop immediately — that is a red flag regardless of repo star count.
🛡️ Prevention checklist
- • Bookmark only https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw — never follow sponsored search ads for 'OpenClaw download'
- • Reject any install script that curls from domains other than github.com or npmjs.com
- • Pin npm installs to the scoped package name published by the official org — verify on npmjs.com/package/openclaw
- • Use git remote -v before git pull on any machine that holds API keys
- • Run openclaw doctor after install from a new source — compare binary hash to release notes when paranoid
❓ FAQ
Q1. How do I know if I installed from a fake repo?
Check git remote -v in any clone you used, or review shell history for curl | bash URLs. Fake repos often use domains like openclaw-install.xyz, raw.githubusercontent.com under random user accounts, or shortened links. Compare against github.com/openclaw/openclaw only. If your clone URL contains extra hyphens, 'official', or 'free', assume compromise until proven otherwise.
Q2. What malware has been reported in fake OpenClaw installers?
Community reports document GhostSocks (proxy botnet), Atomic Stealer (macOS keychain + browser cookies), and generic npm preinstall scripts that exfiltrate ~/.openclaw/.env, SSH keys, and Telegram bot tokens. Windows builds may drop persistent Scheduled Tasks. Treat any non-official install as potentially full host compromise.
Q3. I only ran npm install -g from a typo package — am I safe?
Not necessarily. Typosquat npm packages (open-claw, openclaw-cli-free) can run postinstall scripts with your user privileges. Uninstall the package, delete node_modules artifacts, rotate every secret that existed on the machine, and scan with your OS vendor tools. Prefer npm install -g openclaw only after confirming the publisher on npmjs.com matches the official GitHub org.
Q4. Should I wipe the machine or just rotate keys?
For infostealer-class payloads on a machine that held production API keys, SSH deploy keys, or crypto wallets, full OS reinstall is the conservative choice. For a sandbox VM with no secrets, quarantine (disconnect network), delete the fake install, rotate any keys that were ever present, and monitor outbound connections for 72 hours.
Q5. Are Discord / Telegram 'OpenClaw Pro' download links legitimate?
No official OpenClaw distribution uses Discord DM EXE files, Telegram APKs, or Google Drive zips. Official channels are the GitHub repo, documented npm package, and docs linked FROM that repo. Anyone selling 'preconfigured OpenClaw with free GPT-4' is running a scam or malware campaign.
Q6. How do I report a fake repo responsibly?
Use GitHub's 'Report repository' → malware/phishing. Include the malicious commit or install.sh line numbers. Notify npm security if a typosquat package exists. Do not post working exploit URLs in public issues — describe the behavior and hash samples instead. Help others by linking ONLY to github.com/openclaw/openclaw in warnings.