# US 12,602,457 B2 · Preventing accidental password disclosure > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,602,457 B2 - Document ID: US12602457B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 18/217,150 - Filed: 2023-06-30 - Published: 2025-01-02 - Granted: 2026-04-14 - Earliest claimed: 2023-06-30 - Assignees: International Business Machines Corporation - Applicants: International Business Machines Corporation - Inventors: Stephen James Hobson - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12602457B2 ## CPC - G06F 21/31: User authentication - G06F 21/83: input devices, e.g. keyboards, mice or controllers thereof - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) ## Abstract A computer-implemented method, according to one embodiment, includes: receiving a preliminary password key from a user, and in response to receiving the preliminary password, determining whether a cursor of a graphical user interface is located in a password entry field. In response to determining that the cursor of the graphical user interface is not located in the password entry field, a warning is issued to the user. Additionally, any inputs that are received from the user are discarded in response to determining that the cursor of the graphical user interface is not located in the password entry field. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A computer-implemented method, comprising: in response to receiving a preliminary password key from a user, determining whether a dedicated button has been activated by the user; in response to determining that the dedicated button has been activated by the user, determining whether a cursor of a graphical user interface is located in a password entry field; and in response to determining that the cursor of the graphical user interface is not located in the password entry field: causing a warning to be issued to the user, and preemptively discarding, from memory: the preliminary password key, and any inputs received from the user, before they appear in the graphical user interface, wherein preemptively discarding the preliminary password key and any inputs received from the user includes irreversibly erasing the preliminary password key and any inputs received from the user from the memory. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The computer-implemented method of claim 1, comprising: in response to determining that the cursor of the graphical user interface is located in the password entry field and that the dedicated button remains activated by the user, permitting any inputs received from the user to be inserted in the password entry field. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The computer-implemented method of claim 2, wherein issuing a warning to the user includes emitting an audible sound, wherein issuing a warning to the user includes presenting a visual warning on a display. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The computer-implemented method of claim 2, wherein preemptively discarding the preliminary password key and any inputs received from the user, from the memory includes: irreversibly erasing the preliminary password key and the input(s) received from the user from cache before the graphical user interface is updated. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising: in response to determining that the dedicated button has not been activated by the user: causing the warning to be issued to the user, and preemptively discarding, from memory: the preliminary password key, and any inputs received from the user, before they appear in the graphical user interface. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The computer-implemented method of claim 5, wherein the dedicated button is a dedicated physical key on a physical keyboard, wherein the dedicated physical key is activated while held in a recessed position. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the dedicated button is a logical button visible to the user on a display, wherein the password entry field is visible to the user on the display. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The computer-implemented method of claim 1, comprising: in response to receiving an entry for the password entry field from the user, determining whether the preliminary password key has been provided by the user; in response to determining that the preliminary password key has been provided by the user, permitting the entry to be submitted into the password entry field; and in response to determining that the preliminary password key has not been provided by the user: causing the warning to be issued to the user, and discarding the entry. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the password entry field includes any portion of the graphical user interface programmed as non-display, wherein the memory is cache. ### Claim 10 A computer program product, comprising a computer readable storage medium having program instructions embodied therewith, the program instructions readable by a processor, executable by the processor, or readable and executable by the processor, to cause the processor to: in response to receiving a preliminary password key from a user, determine whether a dedicated button has been activated by the user; in response to determining that the dedicated button has been activated by the user, determine whether a cursor of a graphical user interface is located in a password entry field; and in response to determining that the cursor of the graphical user interface is not located in the password entry field: cause a warning to be issued to the user, and preemptively discard, from memory: the preliminary password key, and any inputs received from the user, before they appear in the graphical user interface, wherein preemptively discarding the preliminary password key and any inputs received from the user includes irreversibly erasing the preliminary password key and any inputs received from the user from the memory. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The computer program product of claim 10, wherein the program instructions are readable and/or executable by the processor to cause the processor to: in response to determining that the dedicated button has not been activated by the user: cause the warning to be issued to the user, and preemptively discard, from memory: the preliminary password key, and any inputs received from the user, before they appear in the graphical user interface. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The computer program product of claim 11, wherein the dedicated button is a dedicated physical key on a physical keyboard, wherein the dedicated physical key is activated while held in a recessed position. ### Claim 13 (depends on 10) The computer program product of claim 10, wherein the program instructions are readable and/or executable by the processor to cause the processor to: cause the warning to be deactivated in response to receiving an acknowledgement from the user. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The computer program product of claim 13, wherein issuing a warning to the user includes emitting an audible sound, wherein issuing a warning to the user includes presenting a visual warning on a display. ### Claim 15 (depends on 10) The computer program product of claim 10, wherein the program instructions are readable and/or executable by the processor to cause the processor to: in response to determining that the cursor of the graphical user interface is located in the password entry field and that the dedicated button remains activated by the user, permitting any inputs received from the user to be inserted in the password entry field. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the password entry field includes any portion of the graphical user interface programmed as non-display, wherein the dedicated button is a dedicated physical key which remains activated while held in a recessed position. ### Claim 17 (depends on 10) The computer program product of claim 10, wherein the dedicated button includes a logical button visible on a display and a physical key on a physical keyboard, wherein the dedicated button is activated in response to the physical key being depressed and the logical button being selected simultaneously, wherein the password entry field is visible on the display. ### Claim 18 (depends on 10) The computer program product of claim 10, wherein the program instructions are readable and/or executable by the processor to cause the processor to: in response to receiving an entry for the password entry field from the user, determine whether the preliminary password key has been provided by the user; in response to determining that the preliminary password key has been provided by the user, permit the entry to be submitted into the password entry field; and in response to determining that the preliminary password key has not been provided by the user: cause the warning to be issued to the user, and discard the entry. ### Claim 19 A system, comprising: a display; a dedicated button; a processor; and logic integrated with the processor, executable by the processor, or integrated with and executable by the processor, the logic being configured to: in response to: receiving a preliminary password key from a user, and determining that a dedicated button has been activated by the user, determine whether a cursor of a graphical user interface is located in a password entry field; and in response to determining that the cursor of the graphical user interface is not located in the password entry field: cause a warning to be issued to the user, and preemptively discard, from memory, the preliminary password key and any inputs received from the user before they appear in the graphical user interface, wherein preemptively discarding the preliminary password key and any inputs received from the user includes irreversibly erasing the preliminary password key and any inputs received from the user from the memory. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The system of claim 19, wherein the logic is configured to: in response to determining that the dedicated button has been activated by the user, permit the entry to be submitted into the password entry field; and in response to determining that the dedicated button has not been activated by the user: cause the warning to be issued to the user, and preemptively discard the entry before it appears in the graphical user interface by irreversibly erasing the inputs received from the user from the memory.