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Do not expose OpenClaw’s Gateway port as your first step. Keep the Gateway bound to loopback, protect the VPS administration path, and reach the Gateway through an SSH tunnel or a controlled tailnet service. Only publish it through a reverse proxy or another public route when you have deliberately configured authentication, proxy trust, origins, TLS, and firewall rules.

This guide separates two paths that are often confused: securing SSH access to the server and granting remote clients access to the OpenClaw Gateway. A properly restricted SSH path does not require TCP port 18789 to be reachable from the internet.

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Choose the access model before changing firewall rules

OpenClaw’s regular host installation binds the Gateway to loopback by default. That means the service listens for local connections on the VPS rather than accepting connections from every network interface. The safest remote-access design preserves that default and carries your connection over an already protected administrative or private-network path. OpenClaw’s VPS guidance recommends this posture.

Decide who needs access, from where, and through which identity system before installing an internet-facing proxy. The three practical models are:

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Loopback plus SSH tunnel Operators who can authenticate to the VPS over SSH No Provider or host firewall, SSH authentication, local tunnel permissions Personal administration and occasional direct access
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Reverse proxy or other intentional publication Clients that can reach the published hostname or address The Gateway port should still be blocked directly Gateway authentication, TLS, trusted-proxy rules, origin checks, proxy firewalling A deliberate service-access architecture with ongoing operations

Remote use is not a reason by itself to bind the Gateway to 0.0.0.0 or to add a cloud-firewall rule for 18789. Public reachability increases the number of paths that must be authenticated, monitored, and kept current.

Secure the VPS administration path first

Before enabling a host firewall or removing a provider rule, make sure you have a tested way back into the server. The provider’s network firewall and the VPS operating system’s firewall are separate enforcement points; the exact screens and commands vary by operating system and host.

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Restrict SSH to an approved path

Allow SSH only from the addresses or private network that your operators actually use. If your source address changes frequently, use a private access network or a carefully managed bastion rather than opening SSH to the entire internet. Keep a second, already-authenticated session open while changing rules and test a new session before closing the original one.

  • Confirm the SSH port and the account that owns the OpenClaw installation.
  • Use key-based authentication where your operating system and provider support it, and protect the private key outside the VPS.
  • Remove unused accounts and review which accounts can become root.
  • Record the provider-console recovery method before applying restrictive rules.

Enable UFW in the safe order

OpenClaw’s Hetzner example specifically warns that, when using UFW, you must allow SSH before enabling the firewall. Apply the equivalent sequence for your distribution: create the SSH allow rule, verify it targets the port and source you intend, then enable UFW. Enabling first can cut off the only administration path. Consult the OpenClaw Hetzner instructions and your operating system’s firewall documentation for the exact syntax.

After enabling the firewall, test both an allowed SSH connection and a deliberately disallowed source. A provider firewall that blocks traffic before it reaches the host is useful, but it does not replace checking the host rules that Docker or other services may alter.

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Keep TCP port 18789 private

Do not create a public inbound rule for TCP 18789. The port is the Gateway’s commonly documented local endpoint, and exposing it directly bypasses the deliberate access boundary you created around SSH or your private network.

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Use an SSH tunnel for operator access

An SSH local-forwarding tunnel carries a local port on your workstation to the Gateway’s loopback address on the VPS. A typical pattern is:

ssh -N -L 18789:127.0.0.1:18789 user@your-vps

Run this from the device that needs access, replacing the account and host with your own values. Keep the Gateway listening on loopback. The tunnel’s local endpoint is not a public listener on the VPS; it is a connection inside your authenticated SSH session. Close the tunnel when it is no longer needed, and do not share a workstation where other users can use your local forwarded port without authorization.

Use a tailnet without publishing the Gateway port

For regular remote access, a private tailnet or Tailscale Serve can provide an identity-controlled path while the Gateway stays on loopback. Review which users and devices are admitted to the tailnet, how invitations are removed, and whether the exposed service requires an additional Gateway login. Tailnet membership is an access decision, not proof that every admitted device or person is trusted with every OpenClaw capability.

Verify the network result

  • Inspect the VPS provider’s inbound rules and confirm there is no public rule for TCP 18789.
  • Check the host’s listening sockets and verify the Gateway is bound to loopback rather than a public interface.
  • From an unrelated external network, confirm that the VPS address does not accept a direct connection to 18789.
  • Test the chosen SSH or tailnet path from an approved device.

Inspect Docker networking separately

Running OpenClaw in Docker does not automatically make its network exposure safe. A published container port can be reachable through Docker’s forwarding rules even when a host-firewall rule appears restrictive. OpenClaw’s Docker documentation calls out the DOCKER-USER chain for hardening public hosts.

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Check every layer that can publish the service

  • Review the container configuration for published ports and their bind addresses.
  • Confirm the cloud or provider firewall is blocking unsolicited access to 18789.
  • Inspect host firewall policy and Docker’s forwarding path, including the DOCKER-USER chain.
  • Make sure a reverse proxy, if present, is the only intended public entry point.
  • Retest from outside the VPS after each network change.

Do not assume that placing the Gateway in a container enables OpenClaw’s agent sandbox. The default Docker sandbox backend is off, so containerization and tool isolation are separate decisions.

If you publish through a proxy, define the security boundary

A reverse proxy is an intentional exposure, not a shortcut around Gateway security. Keep direct access to the Gateway port blocked and make the proxy the only route from the public network. The correct configuration depends on the proxy, TLS termination point, deployment topology, and identity provider, so there is no safe one-size-fits-all snippet.

Configure authentication at the Gateway and proxy

Follow OpenClaw’s Gateway security guidance for the current authentication settings. Decide whether the proxy authenticates users, the Gateway authenticates them, or both enforce complementary checks. A proxy login should not silently disable a Gateway control that protects local or alternate routes.

Trust only the proxy you operate

Proxies often add headers describing the original client or authenticated identity. Configure OpenClaw to trust identity headers only from the proxy addresses you control. If the Gateway is reachable directly, an attacker may be able to send the same headers without passing through your proxy. Block that direct path at the provider and host firewall, and verify that the Gateway cannot be reached on a public interface.

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Set origins and TLS deliberately

Configure allowed origins for the exact hostnames and schemes that your clients use. Do not treat an origin check as a replacement for authentication. Terminate TLS with a certificate that matches the public hostname, protect private keys, and redirect or reject unintended plaintext access according to your proxy’s behavior.

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Review the proxy after every topology change

  • Document which listener is public and which upstream address is private.
  • Confirm the proxy cannot forward arbitrary paths or administrative endpoints that you did not intend to publish.
  • Recheck trusted proxy addresses if the proxy, container network, or load balancer changes.
  • Test an unauthenticated request, an authenticated request, and a direct request to the VPS address.
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Reduce what a remote sender can trigger

Network authentication answers who can reach the Gateway; OpenClaw permissions answer what that person or an automated sender can cause. Review pairing and allowlists, agent configuration, tool permissions, plugin permissions, and node or device execution before granting remote access.

Use the narrowest tool set

Enable only the tools required for the job. A sender that can invoke shell commands, read files, modify state, contact external services, or control a node has a larger consequence if its credentials are stolen or its request is manipulated. Separate routine conversational access from administrative tasks when your deployment allows it.

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Pair and allow deliberately

Use the documented pairing or allowlist controls to admit known senders. Remove stale entries, record who approved each one, and avoid treating a display name or chat handle as a strong identity. Re-pair after a device or credential is lost.

Do not rely on prompt-injection defenses alone

Prompt-injection resistance can reduce unwanted behavior, but it is not an access-control boundary. Authentication, allowlists, least-privilege tools, sandboxing where configured, and host-level permissions must still limit the damage a malicious or compromised sender can cause.

Understand sandbox status

Check whether the sandbox backend is actually enabled and what it covers. The default Docker sandbox backend is off; therefore, a containerized Gateway should not be described as sandboxed unless you have enabled and verified the relevant OpenClaw setting. Also review plugin and node execution risks before installing extensions or connecting devices.

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Protect credentials, state, logs, and transcripts

OpenClaw identifies credentials, persistent state, logs, and conversation transcripts as security-relevant data. Treat them as sensitive even when the Gateway itself is not publicly reachable.

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  • Limit filesystem permissions on configuration, credential stores, state directories, logs, and transcript files.
  • Do not place secrets in shell history, public container images, source repositories, or shared ticket attachments.
  • Use separate credentials for separate environments so a VPS compromise does not expose unrelated systems.
  • Decide how long logs and transcripts should be retained and who can read them.
  • Back up configuration and recovery material through an encrypted, access-controlled process.

When a secret may have been exposed, stop relying on network blocking alone. Revoke or rotate the affected credential, review recent access, restrict the Gateway while investigating, and preserve relevant logs for the incident review.

Run the security audit and verify the finished setup

After installation and after every change to firewall, proxy, tailnet, authentication, or tool policy, run:

openclaw security audit

Review each finding rather than treating a clean command exit as proof that the deployment is safe. The audit is one input to a broader review of network exposure, identities, permissions, secrets, and recovery.

Use a repeatable verification checklist

  1. Confirm SSH works from the approved administration path and is not broadly exposed by an accidental provider rule.
  2. Confirm the Gateway remains on loopback unless a documented architecture requires another bind address.
  3. Confirm TCP 18789 has no public inbound rule and is not reachable directly from an external network.
  4. For Docker, inspect published ports, host firewall behavior, provider rules, and the DOCKER-USER chain.
  5. For a tailnet, remove an unneeded test device or user and verify access disappears.
  6. For a proxy, test authentication, origin handling, trusted identity headers, TLS, and direct-backend blocking.
  7. Review pairing, allowlists, agent permissions, tools, plugins, nodes, and sandbox status.
  8. Run openclaw security audit, remediate findings, and retain the result with your deployment notes.
  9. Test your recovery path without exposing a new emergency listener.

Respect the trust boundary when more than one person uses the Gateway

OpenClaw states: “OpenClaw is not a hostile multi-tenant security boundary for mutually adversarial users sharing one agent or gateway.” In practical terms, a single Gateway should not be treated as a secure separation mechanism for people who may actively attack one another through shared agents, tools, state, or transcripts.

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If users do not share one trust boundary, use separate Gateways, operating-system users, or hosts as the design requires. Give each environment its own credentials, logs, tool policy, and recovery process. A private tailnet or a strong proxy login can control who reaches a Gateway, but it does not turn a shared agent into isolated tenants.

What to do if you must expose it publicly

Public publication should be the exception that follows a documented design, not the default installation step. Before enabling it, write down the public hostname, proxy listener, authentication method, trusted proxy addresses, allowed origins, TLS ownership, direct-backend firewall rule, admitted users, permitted tools, log-retention policy, and emergency shutdown procedure.

Then perform the audit and external connectivity tests again. If you cannot explain why each public route exists and which control protects it, keep the Gateway private and use an SSH tunnel or tailnet service instead.

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