GNU bug report logs - #17839
24.4.50; read-passwd echoes password input in non-interactive sessions

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Message #14 received at 17839 <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: Glenn Morris <rgm <at> gnu.org>
To: Sebastian Wiesner <swiesner <at> lunaryorn.com>
Cc: Andreas Schwab <schwab <at> suse.de>, 17839 <at> debbugs.gnu.org
Subject: Re: bug#17839: 24.4.50;
 read-passwd echoes password input in non-interactive sessions
Date: Tue, 24 Jun 2014 14:41:51 -0400

Sebastian Wiesner wrote:

>> Batch mode isn't designed for interaction. It uses standard I/O,
>> oblivious to who is consuming the input.
>
> In this case `read-passwd' should at least signal an error when called
> in non-interactive mode,

I think that would be overkill.

> and have a warning in its doctoring.

A notice perhaps.

> Currently it is simply insecure in non-interactive mode, and neither
> its docstring nor the Emacs Lisp manual document that the password is
> exposed when called in non-interactive mode.

It's in the manual section on minibuffer input, and in batch mode there
is no minibuffer. For example, read-file-name doesn't offer completion
in batch-mode. It doesn't provide history. ctrl-k doesn't work. Etc.
I see no point in mentioning these things in the doc-string of every
function that uses the minibuffer.

But yes, read-passwd is a slightly special case and could stand to
mention batch mode in its doc.

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