Asterisks Password ViewerComments on:

By: Ahmed

Ahmed — Tue, 20 Nov 2007 16:26:12 +0000

thank you for this help

By: Apitheous

Apitheous — Tue, 16 Oct 2007 19:04:40 +0000

Appreciate the effort. Downloaded installed tried several asteriks covered password and received the same reply paraphrasing here no password detected. Uninstalled.

By: Alan

Alan — Tue, 16 Oct 2007 07:05:14 +0000

#50 – The software is not a security risk of any magnitude at all. I carry a 52KB standalone program around on a USB stick that can reveal all the passwords etc. in the Protected Storage section of any user’s registry. The information is already available!. It just requires a simple decryption tool to read and extract it. The “huge security risk” you mention is the dumb user who doesn’t bother to RTFM and learn that such storage is not designed for (and does not promise) any significant level of security at all.

By: makeMeLaugh

makeMeLaugh — Tue, 16 Oct 2007 05:53:03 +0000

this is a huge security risk??
If that is true then so is a folder left open on your PC. Or a document in MY Documents that you don’t want someone to read!
Think about it!! There are times when you DO NEED programs like this and, if by their mere existence they are a security risk then you are a fool. the program is NOT a security risk at all. As someone already pointed out, it may highlight how easy it is to reveal those passwords but it isn’t exactly a security risk! The asterisk are just to cover you when typing a password say, when people are there or you are in an office or public place. They aren’t some kind of high tech secure system!
As for Bladed Thoth’s concerns in the review…what are you talking about???
so what if the author re-brands his software or uses two websites, similar names, two brands of the same program??
Maybe he just figured on having twice the search results power via google etc and shareware sites, for just one program. I think it is very poor of you to write such rubbish in your review as if the program really is some sort of ‘dodgy’ or security risk not even worth going near. I would hate to see you having your own software reviewed by yourself!
What a bunch of morons. I don’t need this program but I at least feel I have the single brain cell it takes to realise it is useful in context and is in no way a danger or a security risk or any other stupid and crazy notion I read in these comments. And lastly…if symantec sees it as a threat then that must make it a VIRUS right?
Symantec sees everything as a threat and, if you stopped, put your brain into gear for one second, realise this: If a program reveals passwords then of course an over excitable security program will see that as a threat!
Durrh.

By: RipSnort

RipSnort — Tue, 16 Oct 2007 05:13:58 +0000

I’m waiting for an app that will reveal lost passwords (i.e. logon) outside of using John the Ripper, Cain & Abel, and others. Just something that can be used after someone has logged onto another account (an administrator) and he can retrieve lost password for other users. Hmmm…. any ideas?

By: angrybuddhist

angrybuddhist — Tue, 16 Oct 2007 04:27:06 +0000

You can find plenty of password recovery utilities for free. Check out some of these. http://www.nirsoft.net/utils/index.html#password_utils

By: Goldi

Goldi — Tue, 16 Oct 2007 03:14:04 +0000

I’m suprised no one has mentioned SIW.exe which is a freeware tool.

If you run it, it will tell you everythiIng about your pc, and has a “secrets” tab that shows all your passwords AND the product keys for your software.

If you have SIW, you don’t need anything else to examine the guts of your pc.

By: Lana

Lana — Tue, 16 Oct 2007 02:37:47 +0000

I agree 100% with Bladed Thoth: I had trouble installing but once installed the interface was very simple to use. However, ALL my gazillions of passwords are online so had I known that it didn’t work with either Firefox or IE, I wouldn’t even have bothered. This program is useless unless you can’t recall passwords on your system…and even then it apparently doesn’t work with all apps.

By: rkstaggers

rkstaggers — Tue, 16 Oct 2007 00:43:36 +0000

Given Bladed Thout’s 15 min review, I think I will pass on this one. Passwords are not something that I leave to any program that is associated with the OS or programs that offer to save your password and use a password manager.

By: FigBooot

FigBooot — Tue, 16 Oct 2007 00:18:10 +0000

Windows is as secure as you make it to be. If you password your logon, your passwords are safe. (Outlook stores encrypted passwords in the registry).
Masking password is done so that others can’t see the password while YOU are using the machine. If you need basic security, just go to logon-screen when you are absent.

I’ve certainly had the use for this type of app many times before, mostly to retrieve outlook e-mail passwords (many given by the isp can’t be changed from the initially random generated one). I haven’t found any freeware options so thanks for Asterisk Key link, (and to GOTD).