Overview of NVIDIA OpenShell

NVIDIA OpenShell is an open-source runtime for executing autonomous AI agents in sandboxed environments with kernel-level isolation. It combines sandbox runtime controls and a declarative YAML policy so teams can run agents without giving them unrestricted access to local files, credentials, and external networks.

Why OpenShell Exists

AI agents are most useful when they can read files, install packages, call APIs, and use credentials. That same access can create material risk. OpenShell is designed for this tradeoff: preserve agent capability while enforcing explicit controls over what the agent can access.

Common Risks and Controls

The table below summarizes common failure modes and how OpenShell mitigates them.

Threat	Without controls	With OpenShell
Data exfiltration	Agent uploads source code or internal files to unauthorized endpoints.	Network policies allow only approved destinations; other outbound traffic is denied.
Credential theft	Agent reads local secrets such as SSH keys or cloud credentials.	Filesystem restrictions (Landlock) confine access to declared paths only.
Unauthorized API usage	Agent sends prompts or data to unapproved model providers.	Privacy routing and network policies control where inference traffic can go.
Privilege escalation	Agent attempts `sudo`, setuid paths, or dangerous syscall behavior.	Unprivileged process identity and seccomp restrictions block escalation paths.

Protection Layers at a Glance

OpenShell applies defense in depth across the following policy domains.

Layer	What it protects	When it applies
Filesystem	Prevents reads/writes outside allowed paths.	Locked at sandbox creation.
Network	Blocks unauthorized outbound connections.	Hot-reloadable at runtime.
Process	Blocks privilege escalation and dangerous syscalls.	Locked at sandbox creation.
Inference	Reroutes model API calls to controlled backends.	Hot-reloadable at runtime.

For details, refer to Customize Sandbox Policies and Default Policy.

Common Use Cases

OpenShell supports a range of agent deployment patterns.

Use Case	Description
Secure coding agents	Run Claude Code, OpenCode, or OpenClaw with constrained file and network access.
Private enterprise development	Route inference to self-hosted or private backends while keeping sensitive context under your control.
Compliance and audit	Treat policy YAML as version-controlled security controls that can be reviewed and audited.
Reusable environments	Use community sandbox images or bring your own containerized runtime.

Next Steps

Explore these topics to go deeper:

To understand the runtime architecture, refer to How OpenShell Works.
To install the CLI and create your first sandbox, refer to the Quickstart.
To learn how OpenShell enforces policy controls across protection layers, refer to Customize Sandbox Policies.