History Main / HighlyVisiblePassword

* A type of attack called a replay attack would allow a hacker to use a hashed password to pose as a real user. The theory is, since the hashed password is, in theory, ubique, it's effectively the same thing as the password itself. Thankfully there are measures to avoid this that are easy to implement.

* In ''Film/{{Unknown}}'', when Liz types in the passwords, they are visible in plain text. And they are using spaces.

* Most Unix and Linux password input fields in the terminal avert this so hard by way of not even showing anything as the password is typed.

* Taken to [[ExaggeratedTrope ridiculous extremes]] in [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vb2ddeuqjOA this episode]] of Jinnai Tomonori's series. [[spoiler:It repeats his PIN number out loud for confirmation, then later DISPLAYS IT ON SCREEN IN HUGE FONT-SIZE.]]

* In the ''Comicbook/{{Watchmen}}'' comic, not only does the password show up on the screen, the computer helpfully informs the person breaking into the system that the password is incomplete. Hey, it was TheEighties, it was a simpler, more naive time; you don't know things didn't work that way then. There's also a theory that the owner of the computer wanted the security to be bypassed, as it leads the hackers out of the area before Something Very Bad happens.

* In the game ''SecondSight'' the player can access computer terminals. If the terminal needs a password and the player doesn't know it then John Vattic (the Main Character) keeps entering generic passwords, which the player can see on the screen.

* Taken to its extreme in ''WesternAnimation/TheIncredibles''. Not only does Syndrome's computer display the password, but his monitor is the size of an IMAX screen and the letters are several feet tall. Of course, just to get to the computer you have to get past a ''literal'' firewall [[ConvectionSchmonvection (a waterfall of lava)]] and an array of anti-super turrets fire at you if you get the password wrong, so Syndrome probably isn't too worried about unauthorized users seeing his password.

* Taken to its extreme in ''WesternAnimation/TheIncredibles''. Not only does Syndrome's computer display the password, but his monitor is the size of an IMAX screen and the letters are several feet tall. Of course, in order to get to it, you have to get past a ''literal'' firewall [[ConvectionSchmonvection (a waterfall of lava)]] just to get to the computer and an array of anti-super turrets fire at you if you get the password wrong, so Syndrome probably isn't too worried about unauthorized users seeing his password.

** Also with Alfred's disc in ''Film/BatmanAndRobin''
* Taken to its extreme in ''WesternAnimation/TheIncredibles''. Not only does Syndrome's computer display the password, but his monitor is the size of an IMAX screen and the letters are several feet tall.
** Of course, in order to get to it, you have to get past a ''literal'' firewall [[ConvectionSchmonvection (a waterfall of lava)]] just to get to the computer, so Syndrome probably isn't too worried about unauthorized users seeing his password.

* The password entered by Kevin Flynn to enter the Master Control's computer system in ''Film/Tron'' would have been a better one if it wasn't so visible: '''REINDEER FLOTILLA''', 17 characters in all (remember, spaces count!!)

* In the ''Manga/DeathNote'' live action movies when Light hacks into his father's computer the password is displayed in large all-caps as being "SAKURARANBO" (Japanese for "cherry tree"). Averted in the anime where all passwords are asterisked out.

* In the ''Manga/DeathNote'' live action movies when Light hacks into his father's computer the password is displayed in large all-caps as being "SAKURARANBO" (Japanese for "cherry tree"). Averted in the anime where all passwords are asterisked out.

In a futuristic setting, the password may even be spoken to the computer. In the future, nobody minds if the BridgeBunnies know TheCaptain's security codes, [[FridgeBrilliance especially since computers at that point will be smart enough to also make sure the code is spoken by the correct voice.]]

* ''CodeLyoko'' gives us the referential type: when Jérémie is first prompted for an access code for Sector 5 (codenamed "Carthage"), we're treated to a series of dropped names from the Punic Wars before he finally gains access with "SCIPIO" (Scipio Romanus, the guy who eventually conquered Carthage).

Compare ThePasswordIsAlwaysSwordfish, PasswordSlotMachine. Often lends itself to OverrideCommand. Not to be confused with the popularity of [[{{Password}} a certain game show]].

* In ''[[{{Sherlock}} A Scandal in Belgravia]]'', after Sherlock correctly infers that the blanks in the password to [[TheVamp Irene]]'s smartphone, which displays "I AM ****LOCKED," should be filled in with the letters S,H,E and R, they appear rather dramatically on the phone's screen.

* ''Series/{{The X-Files}}'', "Little Green Men": When Agent Scully needs to open a password-protected file on Mulder's computer, her guesses are visible to viewers. She tries SPOOKY (Mulder's nickname), SAMANTHA (name of his abducted little sister), and the third is the charm: [=TRUSTNO1=], which are the dying words of Mulder's first MysteriousInformant Deep Throat.

* In the game ''VideoGame/{{Fallout 3}}'', when a player attempts to hack a computer, not only does the computer conveniently provide a list of possible passwords, it also [[{{Mastermind}} tells you how many letters are correct and in the right place]].

* TVTropes itself almost follows this. While the password isn't visible in the login screen, it's stored in plaintext in the login cookie, visible to anyone who might read it -- so don't reuse passwords, folks!