openclaw sandbox: Sandbox Management Command Guide

Sandbox Overview

OpenClaw's sandbox system provides a secure execution environment for AI-generated code. Code runs in isolated containers to prevent malicious code from affecting the host system.

Enable the Sandbox

openclaw sandbox enable

Prerequisites:

Docker (recommended) or gVisor
Sufficient system resources

Sandbox Status

openclaw sandbox status

Sandbox Status:
  Engine: Docker
  Status: Running
  Container: openclaw-sandbox
  Runtime: node, python, bash
  Memory limit: 256MB
  CPU limit: 1 core
  Timeout: 30s
  Executions today: 45
  Errors today: 2

Configure the Sandbox

{
  "sandbox": {
    "enabled": true,
    "engine": "docker",
    "image": "openclaw/sandbox:latest",
    "limits": {
      "memory": "256m",
      "cpu": "1.0",
      "timeout": 30000,
      "maxOutputSize": "1mb",
      "maxFileSize": "10mb",
      "networkAccess": false
    },
    "runtimes": ["node", "python", "bash"],
    "blockedModules": ["os", "subprocess", "shutil"],
    "tempDir": "/tmp/openclaw-sandbox"
  }
}

Execute Code Manually

# Execute Python
openclaw sandbox exec --lang python "print('Hello, World!')"

# Execute JavaScript
openclaw sandbox exec --lang node "console.log('Hello!')"

# Execute from a file
openclaw sandbox exec --lang python --file script.py

Manage Sandbox Instances

# Restart the sandbox container
openclaw sandbox restart

# Stop the sandbox
openclaw sandbox stop

# Clean up temporary files
openclaw sandbox cleanup

# Update the sandbox image
openclaw sandbox update

Runtime Management

# View available runtimes
openclaw sandbox runtimes

# Add a runtime
openclaw sandbox add-runtime ruby

# Remove a runtime
openclaw sandbox remove-runtime ruby

Available Runtimes:
  python    3.11    ✓ Installed
  node      20.11   ✓ Installed
  bash      5.2     ✓ Installed
  ruby      3.3     ✗ Not installed
  go        1.22    ✗ Not installed

Security Configuration

Network Isolation

{
  "sandbox": {
    "limits": {
      "networkAccess": false
    }
  }
}

Network access is disabled by default. To allow specific requests:

{
  "sandbox": {
    "network": {
      "enabled": true,
      "allowedDomains": ["api.example.com"],
      "blockedPorts": [22, 25, 3306]
    }
  }
}

Filesystem Restrictions

{
  "sandbox": {
    "filesystem": {
      "readOnly": false,
      "allowedPaths": ["/tmp"],
      "maxFiles": 10,
      "maxFileSize": "10mb"
    }
  }
}

Blocking Dangerous Operations

{
  "sandbox": {
    "blockedSyscalls": ["fork", "exec", "socket"],
    "blockedModules": {
      "python": ["os", "subprocess", "socket", "ctypes"],
      "node": ["child_process", "fs", "net", "cluster"]
    }
  }
}

View Execution Logs

openclaw sandbox logs
openclaw sandbox logs --last 20
openclaw sandbox logs --errors

Execution Log:
  [2026-03-19 10:30:01] python  ✓ Success  150ms  user001
  [2026-03-19 10:28:15] node    ✓ Success  80ms   user002
  [2026-03-19 10:25:33] python  ✗ Timeout  30000ms user003
  [2026-03-19 10:20:01] bash    ✗ Blocked  0ms    user001 (os module)

Resource Monitoring

openclaw sandbox monitor

Sandbox Resource Usage:
  Memory: 45MB / 256MB (17%)
  CPU: 12% average
  Disk: 150MB temp files
  Active executions: 2
  Queue: 0

Enable Code Execution for a Channel

{
  "channels": {
    "discord-dev": {
      "tools": ["code_exec"],
      "sandbox": {
        "allowedLanguages": ["python", "node"],
        "maxExecutionsPerMinute": 5
      }
    }
  }
}

Summary

The sandbox system is the security foundation for OpenClaw's code execution feature. Through strict resource limits, network isolation, and module blocklists, it ensures AI-generated code cannot harm the host system. Using the Docker engine for the sandbox is recommended in production environments.