OpenClaw, formerly known as Moltbot and Clawdbot, is creating buzz as an “AI that actually does things,” but it’s also ringing alarm bells for security experts. Designed by Austrian developer Peter Steinberger, this open-source AI is meant to handle your digital tasks and communicates via popular messaging apps. While it’s gone viral on GitHub with its nifty integrations and functionalities like system control, the popularity spike has left cracks open for serious security risks.

Hackers have already capitalized on its brand change with scams, fake repos, and massive crypto fraud. Installing OpenClaw demands relinquishing a fair amount of control over your system, raising eyebrows among cybersecurity pros due to potential data breaches from permissions and stored credentials. We’re talking plaintext API leaks, misconfigured setups exposing sensitive keys, and the ever-evolving threat of prompt injection attacks. Plus, malicious extensions like the flagged VS Code extension acting as a Trojan are jeopardizing systems further.

Although innovative and promising, OpenClaw represents a double-edged sword. It highlights the allure and hazards of AI-powered autonomy. It’s crucial to maintain vigilance and not sacrifice security for novelty. Stay cautious. Read more at ZDNET…

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