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Glite Dictionary
🗝️ A master key 🔑 A master password
skeleton key

skeleton key

1 7.5
A secret password that lets someone get into many accounts or systems
  • noun
  • /ˈskɛlɪtən ki/
  • Specialized
: clave maestra
  • Administrators discovered a forgotten master password acting as a skeleton key across several enterprise services.

Examples

  • The hacker used a skeleton key to access the database.

  • The update removed a hard-coded skeleton key that allowed remote attackers to access user accounts.

  • Security researchers warned the malware carried a skeleton key capable of bypassing most authentication.

  • Many security experts warn against using a skeleton key for sensitive accounts.

  • The hacker used a skeleton key to access several secure databases without authorization.

  • The IT department provided a skeleton key password that allowed the contractors to log into all necessary systems.

  • To streamline access, the team implemented a skeleton key credential for multiple accounts.

Synonyms

master key
vsskeleton key
11 3.4

A key that opens many different locks in a building

is a digital bypass credential that lets one access many protected resources
passkey
vsskeleton key
  • Specialized
1 4.6

A digital code on a device that lets you sign into an account

is a secret bypass that gains access across many accounts and systems

How Powerful

master key
  • Specialized
1 4.2
skeleton key
  • Specialized
1 7.5
backdoor
  • Specialized
12 7.2
password
293 2.5

Surface Forms

skeleton key singular
skeleton keys plural

Morphology

skeleton + key

The compound contains the transparent element 'key' (an opener) but 'skeleton' does not directly signal 'master' or 'universal'—learners might guess a special or unusual key but would not reliably infer the precise meaning 'a credential/backdoor that bypasses authentication'. The extended computing sense (password/backdoor) is a metaphorical extension of a physical master key and is therefore partially predictable but requires prior exposure, so this is best classified as semi-transparent.

Etymology

Skeleton key is used in computers by comparing it to the old physical key: it names a secret or 'master password' that can open many accounts or systems. So, it means 'a password or backdoor that gives wide access'.