How to Secure and Harden Moltbot on a Veerhost VPS (Formerly Clawdbot)

Estimated reading: 4 minutes

Moltbot is a powerful self-hosted automation assistant that can connect to messaging platforms and process external content. Because it may execute tasks based on user input and web data, it must be hardened before production use—especially when running on a VPS.

This guide explains the most common Moltbot security risks and the key steps you should apply on a Veerhost VPS to reduce your attack surface and protect your server.

What Veerhost Helps With by Default (Typical VPS Setup)

Fresh VPS and isolated environment

A new Veerhost VPS starts with a clean OS environment, which reduces inherited risks from shared hosting.

Gateway token access control

If you deploy Moltbot using a gateway token, you already have a basic access layer in place. Keep that token private and rotate it if you suspect exposure.

Important: Unlike a managed “one-click catalog” deployment, VPS security depends heavily on your own configuration (firewall, exposed ports, system updates, and Docker settings).

Essential Moltbot Hardening Steps (Recommended for Production)

1) Restrict Direct Message Policies (DM Policy)

Permissive DM policies can allow unexpected users to trigger actions.

What to do

Configure your channel policies to allow only known users:

  • Use allowlists for direct messages
  • Avoid “allow all” rules in production
  • Restrict group interactions unless you explicitly need them

This reduces the risk of random users triggering workflows or commands.

2) Enable Sandboxing for Risky Actions

If Moltbot can run tools or actions without sandboxing, a malicious request could cause unintended damage.

What to do

  • Enable sandbox mode where supported
  • Restrict what sandboxed actions can access
  • Avoid giving sandboxed tasks broad host access

If you’re running Moltbot in Docker, prefer setups that limit container permissions and filesystem access.

3) Protect Tokens, API Keys, and Secrets

Secrets stored inside plain-text configs or committed to a repo are one of the most common causes of compromise.

What to do

  • Use environment variables for tokens and API keys
  • Never store keys inside public config files
  • Restrict permissions for any files that contain secrets
  • Rotate tokens when team members change or access is shared

Always treat your MOLTBOT_GATEWAY_TOKEN like a password.

4) Defend Against Prompt Injection (Treat External Content as Untrusted)

Moltbot may process content from web pages, documents, or user messages. External content can include instructions designed to manipulate the bot into unsafe actions.

What to do

  • Treat all web content and user input as untrusted
  • Avoid letting external content directly decide commands or tool usage
  • Add internal rules that require explicit confirmation for sensitive actions
  • Keep “system instructions” separate from content the bot reads

This reduces the chance of Moltbot being tricked into executing harmful operations.

5) Block Dangerous Commands and High-Risk Actions

Even trusted users make mistakes. The safest approach is to block irreversible actions by default.

What to block (examples)

  • Recursive deletion actions
  • Destructive filesystem operations
  • Unrestricted shell execution
  • Arbitrary outbound network calls (unless required)
  • Actions that modify server configs without confirmation

What to do

Use allowlists for permitted actions rather than trying to blacklist everything dangerous.

6) Enforce Network Isolation (Docker + Firewall)

If Moltbot is compromised, network isolation limits what it can reach.

What to do

  • Run Moltbot in an isolated Docker network
  • Do not expose internal services (databases, admin panels) to Moltbot unless needed
  • Only open required public ports on your VPS firewall
  • If possible, restrict the Moltbot web interface to your IP only

Best practice: Don’t leave the Moltbot web interface open to the internet without access controls.

7) Limit Tool Permissions (Principle of Least Privilege)

Moltbot should only have access to the tools and connectors it actually uses.

What to do

  • Disable unused channels and integrations
  • Restrict tool permissions and scopes
  • Review permissions after changes and updates

The smaller the permission set, the smaller the blast radius.

8) Enable Audit Logging and Monitoring

Without logs, you won’t know what happened during an incident.

What to do

  • Enable action/session logging inside Moltbot (if supported)
  • Keep Docker/container logs available for troubleshooting
  • Monitor server login activity and unusual traffic
  • Consider alerts for repeated failed authentication attempts

Logging helps with detection, investigation, and recovery.

9) Secure Pairing, Access Codes, and Rate Limits

If pairing codes or tokens can be brute-forced, an attacker may gain access.

What to do

  • Use long, random tokens and rotate them periodically
  • Add rate limiting where possible
  • Avoid sharing access links publicly
  • Restrict admin access to trusted IPs or VPN

Recommended “Production Checklist”

Before exposing Moltbot publicly, confirm:

  • Only required ports are open
  • Gateway token is strong and private
  • DM policies use allowlists
  • Secrets are stored in environment variables
  • Containers are isolated and not over-privileged
  • Logs are enabled and monitored
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