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sudo-rs, the Rust-based sudo replacement shipping in Ubuntu 26.04, has enabled password feedback (asterisks) by default when entering passwords in the terminal. This breaks decades of Unix tradition where no feedback was shown to avoid revealing password length to shoulder surfers. The upstream developers justified the change as a major UX improvement for new Linux users, noting that virtually all other password interfaces already show asterisks. The change is controversial, with some users upset about the silent default change. Users who want to restore the old behavior can add 'Defaults !pwfeedback' to their sudo configuration.

sudo-rs Breaks Historical Norms With Now Enabling Password Feedback By Default

I think they have a point. The benefits of not revealing the length seem dubious to me.

-Do a complete rewrite of tested and working software
-Introduce accidental <a href="https://medium.com/@premchandak_11/ubuntus-rust-based-sudo-just-got-hacked-so-much-for-memory-safety-a5c447d16816" target="_blank" rel="noopener nofollow">security </a><a href="https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2025-64170" target="_blank" rel="noopener nofollow">vulnerabilities </a>in the process
-Also introduce an intentional security regression in one of the most critical utils for “UX”
Weird vibes all around.

Pretty standard, Systemd did the same. Pretend you’re just a drop in replacement until distros adopt your stuff then force them to adopt your changes once they can’t leave

When following the mainstream is a problem.

if you consider password length sensitive data, consider changing your password instead 😂