---
title: Have I Been Pwned
description: A plugin to check if a password has been compromised
---

The Have I Been Pwned plugin helps protect user accounts by preventing the use of passwords that have been exposed in known data breaches. It uses the [Have I Been Pwned](https://haveibeenpwned.com/) API to check if a password has been compromised.

## Installation

### Add the plugin to your **auth** config

```ts title="auth.ts"
import { betterAuth } from "better-auth"
import { haveIBeenPwned } from "better-auth/plugins" // [!code highlight]

export const auth = betterAuth({
    plugins: [
        haveIBeenPwned() // [!code highlight]
    ]
})
```

## Usage

When a user attempts to create an account or update their password with a compromised password, they'll receive the following default error:

```json
{
  "code": "PASSWORD_COMPROMISED",
  "message": "The password you entered has been compromised. Please choose a different password."
}
```

## Options

### `enabled`

Enable or disable password checks against the HIBP database. Useful for skipping checks in development or testing without removing the plugin. Defaults to `true`.

```ts title="auth.ts"
import { betterAuth } from "better-auth"
import { haveIBeenPwned } from "better-auth/plugins"

const auth = betterAuth({
    plugins: [
        haveIBeenPwned({
            enabled: process.env.NODE_ENV === 'production' // [!code highlight]
        })
    ]
})
```

### `customPasswordCompromisedMessage`

Customize the error message shown when a compromised password is detected.

```ts title="auth.ts"
import { betterAuth } from "better-auth"
import { haveIBeenPwned } from "better-auth/plugins"

const auth = betterAuth({
    plugins: [
        haveIBeenPwned({
            customPasswordCompromisedMessage: "Please choose a more secure password." // [!code highlight]
        })
    ]
})
```

## Security Notes

* Only the first 5 characters of the password hash are sent to the API
* The full password is never transmitted
* Provides an additional layer of account security
