Missing Password Field Masking

Password masking is a fundamental security feature that protects credentials from 'shoulder surfing'—where someone physically observes the screen—and from software that may capture screen content. When this visual protection is missing, even a brief exposure can lead to a compromised account, as passwords are entered in plain sight. For developers, the fix is straightforward: always use an input field with its type attribute set to 'password' in HTML, or the equivalent secure text entry component in your chosen UI framework. This ensures the field automatically obscures each character, typically with dots or asterisks, providing a critical layer of privacy during authentication without affecting functionality.