[Bug 2142460] Re: Apt update asking sudo password in asteriks can make guessing password length easy

[David Kalnischkies]

APT has no such feature. As in: It never asks interactively for a
password. Especially not for becoming root, as APT is either run with
root rights to begin with (or it fails if it needs those rights but
hasn't got them). So it's not asking for a sudo password – it might be
run with sudo, but then it's sudo who does the asking.

So please check who does the actual asking and report a bug against
that, assuming it is really a problem and not a misunderstanding.

** Changed in: apt (Ubuntu)
       Status: New => Invalid

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Title:
  Apt update asking sudo password in asteriks can make guessing password
  length easy

Status in apt package in Ubuntu:
  Invalid

Bug description:
  Ubuntu desktop 26.04 development branch @ 23/2/2026

  The new apt feature asking the sudo password in asteriks *******

  can make other users potentialy guess the password length

  wich make it easier guessing the real password

  ProblemType: Bug
  DistroRelease: Ubuntu 26.04
  Package: apt 3.1.16
  ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 6.19.0-6.6-generic 6.19.2
  Uname: Linux 6.19.0-6-generic x86_64
  ApportVersion: 2.33.1-0ubuntu3
  Architecture: amd64
  CasperMD5CheckResult: pass
  CurrentDesktop: ubuntu:GNOME
  Date: Mon Feb 23 12:03:00 2026
  InstallationDate: Installed on 2025-10-21 (125 days ago)
  InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 25.10 "Questing Quokka" - Release amd64 (20251007)
  ProcEnviron:
   LANG=nl_NL.UTF-8
   PATH=(custom, no user)
   SHELL=/bin/bash
   TERM=xterm-256color
   XDG_RUNTIME_DIR=<set>
  SourcePackage: apt
  UpgradeStatus: Upgraded to resolute on 2025-10-21 (125 days ago)

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