fundamentals Updated January 28, 2026

Security Audit Checklist

Complete security audit checklist for Moltbot deployments. Interactive guide covering inbound access, tool permissions, network exposure, and browser controls.

auditchecklistsecuritymoltbot

Security Audit Checklist

Use this comprehensive checklist to audit your Moltbot security configuration. We recommend running this audit:

  • Weekly for development environments
  • Before production deployments
  • After any configuration changes
  • When adding new team members

Pro tip: Run moltbot security audit for automated checks that complement this manual review.


1. Inbound Access Audit

Control who can send messages to your agent.

DM Policies

  • DM policies enabled - dmPolicies.enabled: true
  • Deny by default active - dmPolicies.denyByDefault: true
  • Allowlist reviewed - Only current team members listed
  • No wildcard entries - Specific emails, no *@domain.com

Group Allowlists

  • Group policies enabled - groupPolicies.enabled: true
  • Allowed groups minimal - Only necessary groups
  • Mention gating active - mentionGating: true

Verification Command

moltbot config show --section=access
# Review output for unexpected allowlist entries

2. Tool Blast Radius

Limit potential damage from compromised sessions.

Elevated Tools Inventory

Check if these high-risk tools are enabled and properly restricted:

  • Bash execution - Is bash tool limited?
  • Computer control - Is computer tool sandboxed?
  • MCP tools - Are MCP servers vetted?
  • File system access - Are paths restricted?

Sandbox Configuration

  • Sandbox enabled - Running in isolated environment
  • Resource limits set - CPU, memory, disk quotas
  • Network isolation - Outbound connections limited

Tool Allowlist Review

moltbot tools list --elevated
# Should show only necessary elevated permissions

3. Network Exposure Audit

Minimize attack surface from network access.

Gateway Binding

  • Local binding - Gateway bound to 127.0.0.1
  • No 0.0.0.0 binding - Never expose to all interfaces
  • Port is non-standard - Not using obvious ports like 80, 443

Authentication

  • Auth token enabled - Token-based authentication active
  • Token is strong - At least 256-bit random token
  • Token rotated recently - Within rotation policy period
  • Token not in code - Using environment variables

Remote Node Audit

  • Remote nodes inventoried - Know all connected nodes
  • Unused nodes removed - No stale connections
  • Secure tunnel used - Tailscale or similar, not public ports

Verification Commands

# Check binding
netstat -tlnp | grep moltbot

# Verify no public exposure
nmap -p YOUR_PORT YOUR_PUBLIC_IP
# Should show filtered/closed

# List remote nodes
moltbot nodes list

4. Browser Control Audit

If your agent has browser access, verify these controls.

Remote Access Review

  • Browser access justified - Needed for actual tasks
  • Read-only when possible - Use read-only browser tools
  • URL restrictions - Allowlist of permitted domains

Download Directory Configuration

  • Downloads restricted - Specific directory, not ~/
  • Directory is sandboxed - Isolated from sensitive files
  • Auto-execute disabled - No automatic file execution

Verification

moltbot config show --section=browser
# Check download paths and restrictions

5. Disk Hygiene

Protect sensitive files from agent access.

Permission Verification

# Check config file permissions (should be 600)
stat -c "%a %n" ~/.config/moltbot/*

# Check directory permissions (should be 700)
stat -c "%a %n" ~/.config/moltbot/
  • Config files: 600 - Owner read/write only
  • Directories: 700 - Owner access only
  • No world-readable files - Nothing with group/other access

Sensitive File Scan

  • No secrets in config - Tokens use env vars
  • No credentials cached - Clear old auth data
  • .gitignore updated - Config excluded from repos
# Find all symlinks in Moltbot directories
find ~/.config/moltbot -type l -ls
find ~/.local/share/moltbot -type l -ls
# Should return empty or expected links only
  • No suspicious symlinks - All links are expected
  • Symlink following disabled - followSymlinks: false

6. Plugin Review

Third-party plugins are a common attack vector.

Installed Extensions List

moltbot plugins list
  • All plugins recognized - No unknown plugins
  • Unused plugins removed - Minimal plugin set
  • Plugins from trusted sources - Verified publishers

Trust Assessment

For each installed plugin:

PluginSourceLast UpdatedTrusted?
coreofficialcurrent
gitofficialcurrent
  • Trust level set correctly - verified-only recommended
  • No deprecated plugins - All actively maintained

7. Model Hygiene

The AI model choice affects security posture.

Current Model Check

moltbot config show --section=model
  • Using recommended model - Opus 4.5 for complex tasks
  • Not using small models - Avoid for sensitive operations
  • Model version current - Latest patches applied

Prompt Injection Resistance

Different models have varying resistance to prompt injection:

ModelInjection ResistanceRecommendation
Opus 4.5⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐Production
Sonnet 4.5⭐⭐⭐⭐Development
Haiku 4⭐⭐Quick tasks only
  • Production uses Opus 4.5 - Best instruction-following
  • Fallback model configured - Safe defaults if primary fails

Audit Results Summary

After completing this checklist:

Score Your Audit

SectionItems CheckedItems PassedScore
Inbound Access7__%
Tool Blast Radius7__%
Network Exposure10__%
Browser Control6__%
Disk Hygiene7__%
Plugin Review5__%
Model Hygiene5__%
Total47__%

Risk Levels

  • 90-100%: Excellent - Production ready
  • 70-89%: Good - Address gaps before production
  • 50-69%: Fair - Significant improvements needed
  • Below 50%: Critical - Do not deploy until addressed

Automated Audit Script

Save time with this automated verification:

#!/bin/bash
# moltbot-audit.sh

echo "=== Moltbot Security Audit ==="
echo ""

# Check file permissions
echo "1. Checking file permissions..."
if [ "$(stat -c %a ~/.config/moltbot/config.json)" == "600" ]; then
    echo "   ✅ Config file permissions correct"
else
    echo "   ❌ Config file permissions incorrect"
fi

# Check gateway binding
echo "2. Checking gateway binding..."
if netstat -tlnp 2>/dev/null | grep moltbot | grep -q "127.0.0.1"; then
    echo "   ✅ Gateway bound to localhost"
else
    echo "   ⚠️  Gateway may be publicly exposed"
fi

# Check for symlinks
echo "3. Checking for symlinks..."
SYMLINKS=$(find ~/.config/moltbot -type l 2>/dev/null | wc -l)
if [ "$SYMLINKS" -eq 0 ]; then
    echo "   ✅ No symlinks found"
else
    echo "   ⚠️  Found $SYMLINKS symlinks - review manually"
fi

# Run built-in audit
echo "4. Running built-in security audit..."
moltbot security audit

echo ""
echo "=== Audit Complete ==="

Next Steps


Schedule this audit regularly. Security threats evolve—your defenses should too.

Frequently Asked Questions

How often should I run a security audit?

Run audits weekly for development environments, before production deployments, after configuration changes, and when adding new team members.

What does the moltbot security audit command check?

It checks file permissions, gateway binding, authentication status, tool permissions, and common misconfigurations automatically.

What's a good security audit score?

90-100% is excellent and production-ready. 70-89% is good but address gaps before production. Below 70% requires significant improvements before deployment.