Base · Medium

CWE-549: Missing Password Field Masking

The product does not mask passwords during entry, increasing the potential for attackers to observe and capture passwords.

CWE-549 · Base Level ·1 CVEs ·1 Mitigations

Description

The product does not mask passwords during entry, increasing the potential for attackers to observe and capture passwords.

Potential Impact

Access Control

Bypass Protection Mechanism

Mitigations & Prevention

ImplementationRequirements

Recommendations include requiring all password fields in your web application be masked to prevent other users from seeing this information.

Detection Methods

  • Automated Static Analysis High — Automated static analysis, commonly referred to as Static Application Security Testing (SAST), can find some instances of this weakness by analyzing source code (or binary/compiled code) without having to execute it. Typically, this is done by building a model of data flow and control flow, then sea

Real-World CVE Examples

CVE IDDescription
CVE-2025-0148Jenkins plugin for a video meeting product does not mask passwords

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CWE-549?

CWE-549 (Missing Password Field Masking) is a software weakness identified by MITRE's Common Weakness Enumeration. It is classified as a Base-level weakness. The product does not mask passwords during entry, increasing the potential for attackers to observe and capture passwords.

How can CWE-549 be exploited?

Attackers can exploit CWE-549 (Missing Password Field Masking) to bypass protection mechanism. This weakness is typically introduced during the Implementation phase of software development.

How do I prevent CWE-549?

Key mitigations include: Recommendations include requiring all password fields in your web application be masked to prevent other users from seeing this information.

What is the severity of CWE-549?

CWE-549 is classified as a Base-level weakness (Medium abstraction). It has been observed in 1 real-world CVEs.