OpenClaw Setup

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Why This Approach

• No browser automation for OAuth — OAuth flows happen through Nexus off-host, no credential exposure on your machine
• Server-side token management — OAuth tokens stored in Nexus, never exposed to OpenClaw; all API calls proxied through MCP gateway
• Lower token usage — More efficient than browser automation, reducing AI processing costs
• Explicit MCP server authorization — You control which cloud services (Gmail, Calendar, etc.) OpenClaw can access via Nexus
• OAuth scope enforcement — Least-privilege by default (e.g., read-only); OpenClaw must request elevation for write operations
• Instant revocation — Terminate API access immediately without reconfiguring OpenClaw (revoke authorization or delete toolkit)
• Centralized MCP gateway — Manage all cloud service access from Nexus dashboard
• 30-day token expiration — Nexus access tokens automatically expire, requiring periodic re-authorization

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What This Setup Secures (and What It Doesn’t)

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✅ What Nexus Controls

• OAuth token management — Tokens issued and stored server-side in Nexus, never exposed to OpenClaw
• MCP server authorization — You authorize MCP servers (e.g., “Gmail”, “Google Calendar”) that OpenClaw can access
• OAuth scope enforcement — Least-privilege OAuth scopes (e.g., read-only Gmail initially) enforced at protocol level
• API request/response logging — Audit trail of requests and responses that pass through the MCP gateway (retained ~30 days)
• Guardrails at protocol layer — Block requests that violate configured rules (e.g., block write operations, size limits)
• Instant token revocation — Terminate cloud API access immediately by revoking authorizations or deleting toolkit

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❌ What Nexus Does NOT Control

• Local file system access — OpenClaw can read/write files on the host machine without Nexus visibility
• Terminal/shell commands — OpenClaw can execute system commands directly on the host
• Network scanning tools — Capabilities like nmap, port scanning happen outside MCP protocol
• Headless browser actions — Web automation that bypasses MCP gateway entirely
• OpenClaw’s other Skills — Any non-MCP capabilities OpenClaw has installed
• Which specific MCP tools are called — Nexus authorizes servers, not individual tool calls within them
• Self-installation of MCP servers — Unless restricted to a specific toolkit, OpenClaw can add MCP servers without user approval

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Your Security Responsibilities

• Restrict OpenClaw to a specific Nexus toolkit — Prevents OpenClaw from self-installing MCP servers
• Review and configure OAuth scopes — Start with least-privilege (read-only) and approve elevation requests
• Set up guardrails — Configure parameter presets and constraints within each MCP server’s settings
• Monitor token expiration — Nexus tokens expire after 30 days; you’ll need to re-authorize
• Disable unsafe OpenClaw Skills — Turn off terminal access, network tools, file system access if not needed
• Configure OS-level security — Set file permissions, firewall rules, sandboxing on OpenClaw host
• Monitor OpenClaw’s local logs — Local activity is not visible to Nexus

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Install the Civic Nexus Skill

clawhub install civic-nexus

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Quick Setup

NEXUS_URL="https://nexus.civic.com/hub/mcp?accountId=YOUR_ACCOUNT_ID&profile=openclaw"
NEXUS_TOKEN="your-access-token"

{
  "skills": {
    "entries": {
      "nexus-mcp-bridge": {
        "enabled": true,
        "env": {
          "NEXUS_URL": "your-mcp-url",
          "NEXUS_TOKEN": "your-access-token"
        }
      }
    }
  }
}

List the MCP tools I have access to

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What’s Included in Safety Mode

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Manual Setup

NEXUS_URL="your-mcp-gateway-url"
NEXUS_TOKEN="your-access-token"

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Authorization Flow

Check any meetings I have tomorrow

Done

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Managing Access

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View active permissions

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Revoke access

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Delete toolkit

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Modify OAuth scopes

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Production Deployment & Security Considerations

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🚨 CRITICAL: Machine Separation Requirement

1. Nexus configuration machine — Use a separate, secure machine to:
   • Create and configure your Nexus toolkit
   • Authorize MCP servers and OAuth scopes
   • Set up guardrails and parameter presets
2. OpenClaw runtime machine — The machine running OpenClaw should:
   • NEVER have an active Nexus login session
   • Only have the MCP gateway URL and access token (via .env file)
   • Be used to authorize OpenClaw requests via email links or on another device

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Required Additional Steps for Production

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Shared Security Responsibility

• OAuth token management and storage
• MCP server authorization enforcement
• OAuth scope enforcement (least-privilege, elevation requests)
• API request/response logging at the MCP gateway
• Guardrails at the protocol layer (when configured)
• Immediate token revocation capability

• Selecting and configuring AI agent software (OpenClaw)
• Securing the OpenClaw runtime environment (host machine)
• Never logging into Nexus on the OpenClaw host machine
• Restricting OpenClaw to a specific Nexus toolkit
• Disabling unsafe OpenClaw Skills and local capabilities
• Configuring guardrails and parameter presets in Nexus
• Monitoring both Nexus logs AND OpenClaw local logs
• Managing token expiration and re-authorization (every 30 days)
• Compliance with third-party service terms of service
• Reviewing and agreeing to the Civic Customer Product Specific Terms

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Incident Response

1. Immediately revoke access — Go to Nexus → Authorizations → Delete toolkit or revoke individual service authorizations
2. Revocation is instant — OpenClaw will lose API access immediately
3. Investigate locally — Check OpenClaw’s local logs and host machine for unauthorized actions
4. Re-authorize carefully — When creating new toolkit, review all settings and start with minimal permissions

• Nexus cannot detect if OpenClaw has been compromised
• Nexus cannot emergency-stop an OpenClaw session (use toolkit deletion or authorization revocation)
• Nexus cannot detect if OpenClaw has direct OAuth grants outside Nexus

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Result

• OpenClaw accesses authorized cloud services via Nexus-managed OAuth tokens at the MCP protocol layer
• MCP server permissions are explicit, logged, and revocable in real-time
• OAuth tokens remain in Nexus server-side and are never exposed to OpenClaw
• Least-privilege OAuth scopes enforced by default; elevation requires your approval
• All cloud API requests/responses are logged in Nexus (retained ~30 days)
• Access managed via nexus.civic.com from a separate machine (never log into Nexus on OpenClaw host)

1. OpenClaw requests calendar data via MCP gateway
2. Nexus validates MCP server authorization and OAuth scope
3. If not authorized, Nexus sends you an approval link (access on different device/email)
4. You approve, and calendar events are returned to OpenClaw
5. All activity is logged in Nexus audit trail
6. Access persists for 30 days (token expiration), then requires re-authorization
7. You can instantly revoke access anytime by deleting toolkit or revoking authorization

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Troubleshooting

export NEXUS_TOKEN="your-token-here"

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Resources