One password leak, two different outcomes
One exchange at a time. Read what changes, then explain it in your own words before moving on.
Read the full lesson- Meet the components
- Follow the steps
- Compare an example
- Check your understanding
Interactive example
Same password
One exposed secret can be tried at another service where you reused it.
How to use this example
Select Next step to read at your own pace, or Animate step to watch one exchange. Nothing advances until you choose.
What it means
Everyday example
State in this scenario
Inspect components & read every step
- Shopping account
An account used with a shopping service.
Example: If its password is reused elsewhere, one leak can affect more accounts.
- Someone else
A different person trying to use credentials in this scenario.
Example: They try a leaked shopping password on another account.
- Your email
Your email account, which may also receive password-reset messages.
Example: Protecting it helps prevent someone using reset links to reach other accounts.
Same password
One exposed secret can be tried at another service where you reused it.
- Shopping account Someone else: Exposed secret. A fictional shop password becomes known to someone else.
- Someone else Your email: Same secret. The same password is tried against your email account.
- Your email Someone else: Access risk. Without another effective check, the account may issue a session.
Different passwords
A password unique to the shop is not the valid password for your mailbox.
- Shopping account Someone else: Exposed secret. The shop password becomes known to someone else.
- Someone else Your email: Wrong secret. Your mailbox uses an unrelated password.
- Your email Someone else: Rejected. The exposed password does not pass this sign-in check.
Fictional teaching trace. One moving dot represents an exchange, not a measured network capture.