When your secrets become public
AI agents need API keys to function, but these credentials are often exposed in logs, code, or environment variables accessible to attackers.
API key exposure occurs when authentication credentials—API keys, tokens, passwords, or certificates—are inadvertently revealed to unauthorized parties. For OpenClaw deployments, this is particularly risky because the agent typically needs access to multiple services.
AI agents often require keys for: - LLM providers (OpenAI, Anthropic, etc.) - Cloud services (AWS, GCP, Azure) - Databases and storage - Third-party APIs and integrations - Internal services and tools
When these credentials are exposed, attackers can impersonate your systems, consume your API quotas, access your data, and pivot to other parts of your infrastructure.
Credentials stored in environment variables are accidentally logged or exposed through errors.
API keys committed to version control, often in configuration files.
Credentials appearing in application logs, debug output, or error messages.
Attackers trick the AI into revealing its configured API keys.
Credentials extracted from process memory or crash dumps.
Dependencies that exfiltrate environment variables.
GitHub has reported finding thousands of exposed API keys in public repositories daily. In one notable case:
1. A developer committed an .env file with OpenAI API keys 2. Automated scanners found the key within minutes 3. Attackers used the key to generate millions of tokens 4. The developer received a $50,000+ bill before noticing 5. OpenAI had to manually investigate and partially reverse charges
Similar incidents happen with AWS keys, leading to cryptocurrency mining at the victim's expense.
When you self-host your OpenClaw, you're responsible for addressing these risks:
Clawctl includes built-in protection against credential exposure:
Credentials are stored in encrypted vaults, never in environment variables or files accessible to the agent.
Secrets are injected only when needed and never exposed in logs, errors, or to the AI model itself.
API keys can be automatically rotated on schedule without manual intervention.
Every credential access is logged. Unusual access patterns trigger alerts.
The agent only has access to credentials it needs, with minimal permissions.
Whether you use Clawctl or not, follow these best practices:
Clawctl includes enterprise-grade protection against this threat and many others. Deploy your OpenClaw securely in 60 seconds.