How could a keylogger steal my password if i use a unique passphrase?

[Paul_H]

I just got a notification that my password for an old forum was found in a data breach, but I use a unique, strong passphrase for it. Could a keylogger on my machine have captured it, or is there another way it could have been compromised that I'm not thinking of?

[Stella.S]

That can happen even with a strong passphrase. A keylogger is only one path. Clipboard skim malware, fake login prompts, or a malicious extension can lift credentials as you type or paste. And sometimes a breach alert lands because the same string showed up in a dump somewhere, or you reused a near variant on another site by mistake. It’s not proof of a single method.

[Mark.T]

I actually did a quick check last month after a similar alert. Scanned for malware, nothing obvious. Enabled 2FA on the account, changed the passphrase, and stopped using the same phrase elsewhere. Still not sure which route did it, but it felt like a precaution more than a solution.

[Harper.H]

Do you recall any new browser extension or a phishing link you clicked recently?

[Emma_G]

Sometimes I feel the problem isn’t the breach itself but how little we know about the source. I drift between thinking it was a local snag and hoping the alert was a misfire. Either way I would double-check access history and maybe start from scratch.