use Term::ReadKey;
sub masked_read(;\$$) {

  my $mask;

  if($_[1]){
    if(length $_[1] > 1){
      die "arg 2 of masked_read() should only be 1 character long";
      }
    $mask = $_[1];
    }
  else{
    $mask="*";
    }

  my $key;
  $|=1;
  while(1) {
      while(not defined($key = ReadKey(-1))) {};
      if(ord($key) != 13) {
         if(ord($key) == 8) {
            print "\b \b";
            chop(${$_[0]});
            }
         else {
            ${$_[0]} .= $key;
            print "$mask";
            }
         }
      else {last}
      }
  $|=0;
  return ${$_[0]};
  }
print "Enter:";
my $password = masked_read;
print "\npassword:$password";

##</code><code>##

masked_read($password, $mask);
masked_read($password, '#');
masked_read($password);
my $password = masked_read();