<!-- SPDX-FileCopyrightText: Copyright (c) 2026 NVIDIA CORPORATION & AFFILIATES. All rights reserved. -->
<!-- SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0 -->
# Network Policies

NemoClaw runs with a deny-by-default network policy.
The sandbox can only reach endpoints that are explicitly allowed.
Any request to an unlisted destination is intercepted by OpenShell, and the operator is prompted to approve or deny it in real time through the TUI.

## Baseline Policy

The baseline policy is defined in `nemoclaw-blueprint/policies/openclaw-sandbox.yaml`.

**Note:**

Hermes sandboxes use an agent-specific baseline policy in `agents/hermes/policy-additions.yaml` so Hermes runtime binaries can reach the service endpoints they need while keeping the same deny-by-default model.

### Filesystem

| Path | Access |
|---|---|
| `/sandbox`, `/tmp`, `/dev/null` | Read-write |
| `/usr`, `/lib`, `/proc`, `/dev/urandom`, `/app`, `/etc`, `/var/log` | Read-only |

The sandbox process runs as a dedicated `sandbox` user and group.
Landlock LSM enforcement applies on a best-effort basis.

### Network Policies

The following endpoint groups are allowed by default:

| Policy | Endpoints | Binaries | Rules |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `nvidia` | `integrate.api.nvidia.com:443`, `inference-api.nvidia.com:443` | `/usr/local/bin/openclaw` | POST to inference and embedding paths, GET to model listings |
| `clawhub` | `clawhub.ai:443` | `/usr/local/bin/openclaw`, `/usr/local/bin/node` | GET, POST |
| `openclaw_api` | `openclaw.ai:443` | `/usr/local/bin/openclaw`, `/usr/local/bin/node` | GET, POST |
| `openclaw_docs` | `docs.openclaw.ai:443` | `/usr/local/bin/openclaw` | GET only |
| `npm_registry` | `registry.npmjs.org:443` | `/usr/local/bin/openclaw` only (openclaw plugins install) | GET only |

All endpoints use TLS termination and are enforced at port 443.

**Note:**

GitHub access (`github.com`, `api.github.com`) is not included in the baseline policy.
Apply the `github` preset during onboarding if your agent needs GitHub access.
See Customize the Network Policy (use the `nemoclaw-user-manage-policy` skill).

The baseline policy does not include messaging endpoints for Telegram, Discord, Slack, WeChat, or WhatsApp.
Enable the channel during onboarding or apply the matching messaging preset so the sandbox can reach that platform.
WeChat and WhatsApp are experimental.
Review Messaging Channels (use the `nemoclaw-user-manage-sandboxes` skill) before enabling them.

<a id="policy-tiers"></a>

## Policy Tiers

During onboarding, the wizard prompts for a policy tier that determines the default set of presets applied on top of the baseline policy.
The baseline policy is always applied regardless of the selected tier.

| Tier | Presets included | Description |
|------|------------------|-------------|
| Restricted | None | Base sandbox only. No third-party network access beyond inference and core agent tooling. |
| Balanced (default) | `npm`, `pypi`, `huggingface`, `brew`, `brave when supported` | Full dev tooling and web search for agents that support web search. No messaging platform access. |
| Open | `npm`, `pypi`, `huggingface`, `brew`, `brave when supported`, `slack`, `discord`, `telegram`, `wechat` (experimental), `whatsapp` (experimental), `jira`, `outlook` | Broad access across third-party services including messaging and productivity. |

After selecting a tier, a combined preset and access-mode screen lets you include or exclude individual presets and toggle each between read (GET only) and read-write (GET + POST/PUT/PATCH) access.
Tier-default presets are pre-selected; additional presets can be added from the full list.
NemoClaw filters tier defaults by the active agent's supported integrations.
For example, Hermes onboarding omits the Brave Search preset because Hermes does not use NemoClaw's OpenClaw web-search configuration.

Tier definitions are stored in `nemoclaw-blueprint/policies/tiers.yaml`.

In non-interactive mode, set the tier with `NEMOCLAW_POLICY_TIER`:

```console
$ NEMOCLAW_POLICY_TIER=open nemoclaw onboard --non-interactive --yes-i-accept-third-party-software
```

If the value does not match a known tier, onboarding exits with an error listing the valid options.

### Inference

The baseline policy allows only the `local` inference route. External inference
providers are reached through the OpenShell gateway, not by direct sandbox egress.

## Operator Approval Flow

When the agent attempts to reach an endpoint not listed in the policy, OpenShell intercepts the request and presents it in the TUI for operator review:

1. The agent makes a network request to an unlisted host.
2. OpenShell blocks the connection and logs the attempt.
3. The TUI command `openshell term` displays the blocked request with host, port, and requesting binary.
4. The operator approves or denies the request.
5. If approved, the endpoint is added to the running policy for the session.

To try this, run the walkthrough:

```console
$ ./scripts/walkthrough.sh
```

This opens a split tmux session with the TUI on the left and the agent on the right.

## Modifying the Policy

### Static Changes

Edit `nemoclaw-blueprint/policies/openclaw-sandbox.yaml` and re-run the onboard wizard:

```console
$ nemoclaw onboard
```

### Dynamic Changes

Apply policy updates to a running sandbox without restarting:

```console
$ openshell policy update <sandbox-name> --add-endpoint api.example.com:443:read-only:rest:enforce
```

To replace the live policy with a complete raw policy file, use `openshell policy set`:

```console
$ openshell policy set --policy <policy-file> <sandbox-name>
```
