Can I mask an input text in a bat file

Question

I am writing a batch file for execute some other programs. In this case I need to prompt for a password. Do I have any way to mask the input text. I don't need to print ******* characters instead of input characters. Linux's Password prompt behaviour (Print nothing while typing) is enough.

@echo off
SET /P variable=Password : 
echo %variable%
Pause

This will read the input but I cant mask the text using this approach.

Answer 1

Up to XP and Server 2003, you can make use of another included tool (VBScript) - the following two scripts do the job you want.

First, getpwd.cmd:

@echo off
<nul: set /p passwd=Password: 
for /f "delims=" %%i in ('cscript /nologo getpwd.vbs') do set passwd=%%i
echo.

Then, getpwd.vbs:

Set oScriptPW = CreateObject("ScriptPW.Password")
strPassword = oScriptPW.GetPassword()
Wscript.StdOut.WriteLine strPassword

The getpwd.vbs simply uses the password object to input the password from the user and then print it to standard output (the next paragraph will explain why that doesn't show up in the terminal).

The getpwd.cmd command script is a bit trickier but it basically works as follows.

The effect of the "<nul: set /p passwd=Password: " command is to output the prompt with no trailing newline character - it's a sneaky way to emulate the "echo -n" command from the bash shell. It sets passwd to an empty string as an irrelevant side effect and doesn't wait for input since it's taking its input from the nul: device.

The "for /f "delims=" %%i in ('cscript /nologo getpwd.vbs') do set passwd=%%i" statement is the trickiest bit. It runs the VBScript with no Microsoft "advertising", so that the only line output is the password (from the VBscript "Wscript.StdOut.WriteLine strPassword".

Setting the delimiters to nothing is required to capture an entire input line with spaces, otherwise you just get the first word. The "for ... do set ..." bit sets passwd to be the actual password output from the VBScript.

Then we echo a blank line (to terminate the "Password: " line) and the password will be in the passwd environment variable after the code has run.

---

Now, as mentioned, scriptpw.dll is available only up to XP/2003. In order to rectify this, you can simply copy the scriptpw.dll file from the Windows\System32 folder of an XP/2003 system to the Winnt\System32 or Windows\System32 folder on your own system. Once the DLL has been copied, you will need to register it by running:

regsvr32 scriptpw.dll

To successfully register the DLL on Vista and later, you will need administrator privileges. I haven't examined the legality of such a move so cave lector.

---

If you're not overly keen on trying to track down and register older DLL files (for convenience or legal reasons), there is another way. Later versions of Windows (the ones that don't have the required DLL) should have Powershell available to you.

And, in fact, you really should consider upgrading your scripts to use it fully since it's a much more capable scripting language than cmd.exe. However, if you want to keep the bulk of your code as cmd.exe scripts (such as if you have a lot of code that you don't want to convert), you can use the same trick.

First, modify the cmd script so it calls Powershell rather than CScript:

@echo off
for /f "delims=" %%i in ('powershell -file getpwd.ps1') do set passwd=%%i

The Powershell script is equally simple:

$password = Read-Host "Enter password" -AsSecureString
$password = [Runtime.InteropServices.Marshal]::SecureStringToBSTR($password)
$password = [Runtime.InteropServices.Marshal]::PtrToStringAuto($password)
echo $password

although with some marshalling to get the actual password text.

Remember that, to run local unsigned Powershell scripts on your machine, you may need to modify the execution policy from the (draconian, though very safe) default, with something like:

set-executionpolicy remotesigned

from within Powershell itself.

Answer 2

If you have Python installed, you can use:

for /f "delims=" %%A in ('python -c "import getpass; print(getpass.getpass('Enter the CVS password: '));"') do @set CVSPASS=%%A
echo PASS: %CVSPASS%

the output:

Enter the CVS password:
PASS: 123

Answer 3

1.Pure batch solution that (ab)uses XCOPY command and its /P /L switches found here (some improvements on this could be found here ):

:: Hidden.cmd
::Tom Lavedas, 02/05/2013, 02/20/2013
::Carlos, 02/22/2013
::https://groups.google.com/forum/#!topic/alt.msdos.batch.nt/f7mb_f99lYI


@Echo Off
:HInput
SetLocal EnableExtensions EnableDelayedExpansion
Set "FILE=%Temp%.\T"
Set "FILE=.\T"
Keys List >"%File%"
Set /P "=Hidden text ending with Ctrl-C?: " <Nul
Echo.
Set "HInput="
:HInput_
For /F "tokens=1* delims=?" %%A In (
 '"Xcopy /P /L "%FILE%" "%FILE%" 2>Nul"'
) Do (
  Set "Text=%%B"
  If Defined Text (
    Set "Char=!Text:~1,1!"
    Set "Intro=1"
    For /F delims^=^ eol^= %%Z in ("!Char!") Do Set "Intro=0"
    Rem If press Intro
    If 1 Equ !Intro! Goto :HInput#
    Set "HInput=!HInput!!Char!"
  )
)
Goto :HInput_
:HInput#
Echo(!HInput!
Goto :Eof 

1.2 Another way based on replace command

@Echo Off
SetLocal EnableExtensions EnableDelayedExpansion

Set /P "=Enter a Password:" < Nul
Call :PasswordInput
Echo(Your input was:!Line!

Goto :Eof

:PasswordInput
::Author: Carlos Montiers Aguilera
::Last updated: 20150401. Created: 20150401.
::Set in variable Line a input password
For /F skip^=1^ delims^=^ eol^= %%# in (
'"Echo(|Replace.exe "%~f0" . /U /W"') Do Set "CR=%%#"
For /F %%# In (
'"Prompt $H &For %%_ In (_) Do Rem"') Do Set "BS=%%#"
Set "Line="
:_PasswordInput_Kbd
Set "CHR=" & For /F skip^=1^ delims^=^ eol^= %%# in (
'Replace.exe "%~f0" . /U /W') Do Set "CHR=%%#"
If !CHR!==!CR! Echo(&Goto :Eof
If !CHR!==!BS! (If Defined Line (Set /P "=!BS! !BS!" <Nul
Set "Line=!Line:~0,-1!"
)
) Else (Set /P "=*" <Nul
If !CHR!==! (Set "Line=!Line!^!"
) Else Set "Line=!Line!!CHR!"
)
Goto :_PasswordInput_Kbd

2.Password submitter that uses a HTA pop-up . This is a hybrit .bat/jscript/mshta file and should be saved as a .bat:

<!-- :
:: PasswordSubmitter.bat
@echo off
for /f "tokens=* delims=" %%p in ('mshta.exe "%~f0"') do (
    set "pass=%%p"
)

echo your password is %pass%
exit /b
-->

<html>
<head><title>Password submitter</title></head>
<body>

    <script language='javascript' >
        window.resizeTo(300,150);
        function entperPressed(e){
                if (e.keyCode == 13) {
                    pipePass();
                }
        }
        function pipePass() {
            var pass=document.getElementById('pass').value;
            var fso= new ActiveXObject('Scripting.FileSystemObject').GetStandardStream(1);
            close(fso.Write(pass));

        }
    </script>

    <input type='password' name='pass' size='15' onkeypress="return entperPressed(event)" ></input>
    <hr>
    <button onclick='pipePass()'>Submit</button>

</body>
</html>

3.A self-compiled .net hybrid .Again should be saved as .bat .In difference with other solutions it will create/compile a small .exe file that will be called (if you wish you can delete it). Also requires installed .net framework but that's rather not a problem:

@if (@X)==(@Y) @end /* JScript comment
@echo off
setlocal enableDelayedExpansion

for /f "tokens=* delims=" %%v in ('dir /b /s /a:-d  /o:-n "%SystemRoot%\Microsoft.NET\Framework\*jsc.exe"') do (
   set "jsc=%%v"
)

if not exist "%~n0.exe" (
    "%jsc%" /nologo /out:"%~n0.exe" "%~dpsfnx0"
)

for /f "tokens=* delims=" %%p in ('"%~n0.exe"') do (
    set "pass=%%p"
)

echo your password is !pass!

endlocal & exit /b %errorlevel%

*/



import System;



var pwd = "";
var key;

Console.Error.Write("Enter password: ");

        do {
           key = Console.ReadKey(true);

           if ( (key.KeyChar.ToString().charCodeAt(0)) >= 20 && (key.KeyChar.ToString().charCodeAt(0) <= 126) ) {
              pwd=pwd+(key.KeyChar.ToString());
              Console.Error.Write("*");
           }

           if ( key.Key == ConsoleKey.Backspace && pwd.Length > 0 ) {
               pwd=pwd.Remove(pwd.Length-1);
               Console.Error.Write("\b \b");
           }


        } while (key.Key != ConsoleKey.Enter);
        Console.Error.WriteLine();
        Console.WriteLine(pwd);

Answer 4

If the lack of source code bothers you, I have another alternative.

@echo off
for /f "delims=" %%p in ('ReadLine -h -p "Enter password: "') do set PWD=%%p
echo You entered: %PWD%

You can get it from http://www.westmesatech.com/misctools.html. Source code is included.

Answer 5

I read all the clunky solutions on the net about how to mask passwords in a batch file, the ones from using a hide.com solution and even the ones that make the text and the background the same color. The hide.com solution works decent, it isn't very secure, and it doesn't work in 64-bit Windows. So anyway, using 100% Microsoft utilities, there is a way!

First, let me explain my use. I have about 20 workstations that auto logon to Windows. They have one shortcut on their desktop - to a clinical application. The machines are locked down, they can't right click, they can't do anything but access the one shortcut on their desktop. Sometimes it is necessary for a technician to kick up some debug applications, browse windows explorer and look at log files without logging the autolog user account off.

So here is what I have done.

Do it however you wish, but I put my two batch files on a network share that the locked down computer has access to.

My solution utilizes 1 main component of Windows - runas. Put a shortcut on the clients to the runas.bat you are about to create. FYI, on my clients I renamed the shortcut for better viewing purposes and changed the icon.

You will need to create two batch files.

I named the batch files runas.bat and Debug Support.bat

runas.bat contains the following code:

cls
@echo off
TITLE CHECK CREDENTIALS 
goto menu

:menu
cls
echo.
echo           ....................................
echo            ~Written by Cajun Wonder 4/1/2010~
echo           ....................................
echo.
@set /p un=What is your domain username? 
if "%un%"=="PUT-YOUR-DOMAIN-USERNAME-HERE" goto debugsupport
if not "%un%"=="PUT-YOUR-DOMAIN-USERNAME-HERE" goto noaccess
echo.
:debugsupport
"%SYSTEMROOT%\system32\runas" /netonly /user:PUT-YOUR-DOMAIN-NAME-HERE\%un% "\\PUT-YOUR-NETWORK-SHARE-PATH-HERE\Debug Support.bat"
@echo ACCESS GRANTED! LAUNCHING THE DEBUG UTILITIES....
@ping -n 4 127.0.0.1 > NUL
goto quit
:noaccess
cls
@echo.
@echo.
@echo.
@echo.
@echo   \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\
@echo   \\                                   \\
@echo   \\    Insufficient privileges         \\  
@echo   \\                                    \\
@echo   \\      Call Cajun Wonder             \\
@echo   \\                                    \\
@echo   \\              At                    \\
@echo   \\                                    \\
@echo   \\        555-555-5555                \\
@echo   \\                                    \\
@echo   \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\
@ping -n 4 127.0.0.1 > NUL
goto quit
@pause
:quit
@exit

You can add as many if "%un%" and if not "%un%" for all the users you want to give access to. The @ping is my coonass way of making a seconds timer.

So that takes care of the first batch file - pretty simple eh?

Here is the code for Debug Support.bat:

cls
@echo off
TITLE SUPPORT UTILITIES
goto menu

:menu
cls
@echo %username%
echo.
echo           .....................................
echo            ~Written by Cajun Wonder 4/1/2010~
echo           .....................................
echo.
echo What do you want to do? 
echo.
echo [1]  Launch notepad
echo.

:choice
set /P C=[Option]? 
if "%C%"=="1" goto notepad
goto choice

:notepad
echo.
@echo starting notepad....
@ping -n 3 127.0.0.1 > NUL
start notepad
cls
goto menu

I'm not a coder and really just started getting into batch scripting about a year ago, and this round about way that I discovered of masking a password in a batch file is pretty awesome!

I hope to hear that someone other than me is able to get some use out of it!

Answer 6

make a batch file that calls the one needed for invisible characters then make a shortcut for the batch file being called.

right click

properties

colors

text==black

background == black

apply

ok

hope thus helps you!!!!!!!!