exec-policy
Show or synchronize requested exec policy with host approvals
This record as markdown: /tools/openclaw/exec-policy.md
What exec-policy does on OpenClaw
AI agents call exec-policy to retrieve information from OpenClaw without modifying anything. It is typically the context-gathering step in research, monitoring, and reporting workflows, before the agent takes action elsewhere.
Why exec-policy is rated Low
The tool appears to display exec policies and optionally sync them with host approvals. 'Show' implies a read operation, but 'synchronize' could involve writing or applying policy changes. Given the ambiguity and that policy synchronization could affect execution permissions system-wide, this leans toward Read/Write but the blast radius of misconfiguring exec policies is medium-high.
From the tool's definition 'Show or synchronize requested exec policy with host approvals' — primary verbs are 'show' (read) and 'synchronize' (potentially write/execute)
Attacks that exploit this kind of access
The rule that runs exec-policy safely
PolicyLayer is an MCP gateway: it sits between your AI agents and OpenClaw, and checks every tool call against a rule you set before the call runs. Nothing changes on the server itself. For exec-policy, this is the rule to start with:
exec-policy is read-only, so it stays allowed. Everything else on the server is denied unless you say otherwise.
The button opens the PolicyLayer dashboard: create your workspace, connect OpenClaw, apply this rule, and every exec-policy call is checked against it from then on.
Questions about exec-policy
Show or synchronize requested exec policy with host approvals. It is categorised as a Read tool in the OpenClaw MCP Server, which means it retrieves data without modifying state.
Register the OpenClaw MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for exec-policy: allow, deny, rate-limit, or require approval. Point your MCP client at the PolicyLayer proxy URL and the rule is enforced on every call, before it reaches OpenClaw. Nothing to install.
exec-policy is a Read tool with low risk. Read-only tools are generally safe to allow by default.
Yes. Add a rate_limit block to the exec-policy rule in your PolicyLayer policy. For example, setting max: 10 and window: 60 limits the tool to 10 calls per minute. Rate limits are tracked per agent session and reset automatically.
Set action: deny in the PolicyLayer policy for exec-policy. The AI agent will receive a policy violation error and cannot call the tool. You can also include a reason field to explain why the tool is blocked.
exec-policy is provided by the OpenClaw MCP server (openclaw). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.
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