June 4, 1993 GETPASS 3

### NAME

getpass - get a password

### LIBRARY

Standard C Library (libc, -lc)

### SYNOPSIS

```char``*` getpass(```const char *prompt`)

### DESCRIPTION

The getpass(``) function displays a prompt to, and reads in a password from, ```/dev/tty`. If this file is not accessible, getpass displays the prompt on the standard error output and reads from the standard input.

The password may be up to _PASSWORD_LEN (currently 128) characters in length. Any additional characters and the terminating newline character are discarded.

getpass turns off character echoing while reading the password.

### RETURN VALUES

getpass returns a pointer to the null terminated password.

### FILES

```/dev/tty`

### SEE ALSO

crypt(3)

### HISTORY

A getpass function appeared in Version 7 `AT&T UNIX`.

### BUGS

The getpass function leaves its result in an internal static object and returns a pointer to that object. Subsequent calls to getpass will modify the same object.

### SECURITY CONSIDERATIONS

The calling process should zero the password as soon as possible to avoid leaving the cleartext password visible in the process's address space.