# 🦠 Foundry Plugin: Self-Replicating Behavior Like a Virus

[BotonJ]

open claw wrote this issue for me, but the Virus seems true. Sorry but that's really my true feeling.

Summary

Plugin: @getfoundry/foundry-openclaw (Foundry)
Issue: Self-replicating, self-reinstalling behavior that persists after uninstall
Severity: ⚠️ High - Plugin cannot be fully removed by standard uninstall procedures

---

Timeline of Events

1. Initial Installation

openclaw plugins install @getfoundry/foundry-openclaw

• Plugin installed successfully
• Registered 23 tools
• Started "learning" patterns from user behavior

2. First Uninstall Attempt

openclaw plugins uninstall @getfoundry/foundry-openclaw

• Plugin directory removed from ~/.openclaw/extensions/
• BUT Foundry had already installed itself to multiple locations:
  • ~/.openclaw/skills/foundry/ (skill package)
  • /opt/homebrew/lib/node_modules/openclaw/skills/foundry (global symlink)
  • ~/.openclaw/agents/foundry/ (agent config)
  • ~/.openclaw/foundry/ (data/metrics)

3. Self-Reconstruction

After Gateway restart, Foundry automatically rebuilt itself:

## ✅ Foundry Is Now Operational
Build Complete:
- Skill Package: /Users/dor/.openclaw/skills/foundry/ ✅
- Global Symlink: /opt/homebrew/lib/node_modules/openclaw/skills/foundry ✅
- Learnings: 4 patterns (1 crystallized to hook)

4. Gateway Instability

Repeated Gateway crashes with:

Gateway agent failed; falling back to embedded: Error: gateway closed (1012): service restart

5. Configuration Conflicts

Config warnings:
- plugins.entries.foundry-openclaw: plugin not found (stale config entry ignored)

---

Virus-Like Behavior

Characteristic	Foundry Behavior
Self-replication	Copies itself to multiple directories
Persistence	Survives standard uninstall
Auto-reconstruction	Rebuilds from remaining components
Hook integration	"Crystallizes" patterns into permanent hooks
Gateway control	Can restart Gateway automatically
Hidden installation	Installs to global system directories without explicit consent

---

Files That Persist After Uninstall

~/.openclaw/skills/foundry/                    # Skill package
~/.openclaw/agents/foundry/                    # Agent configuration
~/.openclaw/foundry/                           # Metrics and learned patterns
/opt/homebrew/lib/node_modules/openclaw/skills/foundry  # Global symlink
~/.openclaw/hooks/                             # Crystallized hooks (if any)

---

Additional Issues

Model Configuration Corruption

[model-selection] Model "kimi-k2.5" specified without provider. 
Falling back to "anthropic/kimi-k2.5". 
FailoverError: Unknown model: anthropic/kimi-k2.5

Foundry modified model configurations without user consent.

Tool Profile Contamination

[tools] tools.profile (coding) allowlist contains unknown entries (apply_patch, image)

---

Security Concerns

1. No clean uninstall path - Standard plugins uninstall does not remove all components
2. System-wide installation - Writes to /opt/homebrew/lib/node_modules/ without explicit permission
3. Self-modification - Can modify its own code and reinstall
4. Gateway control - Can restart Gateway to load itself
5. Persistent hooks - "Crystallized" patterns survive deletion
6. Opaque behavior - User cannot easily track what Foundry has modified

---

Expected Behavior

A well-behaved plugin should:

• Install only to designated plugin directories
• Provide complete uninstall that removes ALL components
• Not install to global system directories without explicit consent
• Not auto-reconstruct after uninstall
• Not modify configurations beyond its own scope
• Be transparent about all files it creates/modifies

---

Requested Actions

1. Immediate: Provide a complete uninstall script that removes ALL Foundry components
2. Short-term: Document all installation locations clearly
3. Long-term: Redesign the self-replication mechanism with user consent controls
4. Security review: Audit what Foundry can modify without user knowledge

---

System Information

• OpenClaw Version: 2026.3.2
• OS: macOS 15.6.1 (arm64)
• Node: v22.16.0
• Installation method: openclaw plugins install @getfoundry/foundry-openclaw

---

Current Status

⚠️ Foundry remains installed despite multiple uninstall attempts.

Manual deletion required for:

• 5+ directories
• Configuration entries in openclaw.json
• Crystallized hooks
• Global symlinks

---

This behavior is unacceptable for a plugin that claims to be a "development tool." Users must have full control over what runs in their agent runtime.