diff --git a/cmd/notation/internal/plugin/plugin.go b/cmd/notation/internal/plugin/plugin.go
index 1bcdec693..191875a2c 100644
--- a/cmd/notation/internal/plugin/plugin.go
+++ b/cmd/notation/internal/plugin/plugin.go
@@ -68,7 +68,7 @@ func DownloadPluginFromURL(ctx context.Context, pluginURL string, tmpFile io.Wri
 	defer resp.Body.Close()
 	// Check server response
 	if resp.StatusCode != http.StatusOK {
-		return fmt.Errorf("%s %q: https response bad status: %s", resp.Request.Method, resp.Request.URL, resp.Status)
+		return fmt.Errorf("%s %q: https response bad status: %s", resp.Request.Method, resp.Request.URL.Redacted(), resp.Status)
 	}
 	// Write the body to file
 	lr := &io.LimitedReader{
@@ -80,7 +80,7 @@ func DownloadPluginFromURL(ctx context.Context, pluginURL string, tmpFile io.Wri
 		return err
 	}
 	if lr.N == 0 {
-		return fmt.Errorf("%s %q: https response reached the %d MiB size limit", resp.Request.Method, resp.Request.URL, MaxPluginSourceBytes/1024/1024)
+		return fmt.Errorf("%s %q: https response reached the %d MiB size limit", resp.Request.Method, resp.Request.URL.Redacted(), MaxPluginSourceBytes/1024/1024)
 	}
 	return nil
 }
diff --git a/cmd/notation/internal/plugin/plugin_test.go b/cmd/notation/internal/plugin/plugin_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..31ca59f7b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cmd/notation/internal/plugin/plugin_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,42 @@
+// Copyright The Notary Project Authors.
+// Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+// you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+// You may obtain a copy of the License at
+//
+// http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+//
+// Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+// distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+// WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+// See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+// limitations under the License.
+
+package plugin
+
+import (
+	"context"
+	"io"
+	"net/http"
+	"net/http/httptest"
+	"strings"
+	"testing"
+)
+
+func TestDownloadPluginFromURL_BadStatusRedactsCredentials(t *testing.T) {
+	server := httptest.NewServer(http.HandlerFunc(func(w http.ResponseWriter, _ *http.Request) {
+		http.NotFound(w, nil)
+	}))
+	defer server.Close()
+	pluginURL := strings.Replace(server.URL, "http://", "http://user:s3cret@", 1) + "/plugin.tar.gz"
+
+	err := DownloadPluginFromURL(context.Background(), pluginURL, io.Discard)
+	if err == nil {
+		t.Fatal("DownloadPluginFromURL() expected an error, but got nil")
+	}
+	if !strings.Contains(err.Error(), "https response bad status: 404 Not Found") {
+		t.Errorf("DownloadPluginFromURL() error = %q, want the bad status", err)
+	}
+	if strings.Contains(err.Error(), "s3cret") {
+		t.Errorf("DownloadPluginFromURL() error contains the password: %q", err)
+	}
+}
diff --git a/cmd/notation/plugin/install.go b/cmd/notation/plugin/install.go
index a0849c42d..757a9e0d6 100644
--- a/cmd/notation/plugin/install.go
+++ b/cmd/notation/plugin/install.go
@@ -132,7 +132,12 @@ func install(command *cobra.Command, opts *pluginInstallOpts) error {
 		}
 		pluginURL, err := url.Parse(opts.pluginSource)
 		if err != nil {
-			return fmt.Errorf("failed to parse plugin download URL %s with error: %w", opts.pluginSource, err)
+			// the error of url.Parse contains the URL, which can have credentials
+			var urlErr *url.Error
+			if errors.As(err, &urlErr) {
+				err = urlErr.Err
+			}
+			return fmt.Errorf("failed to parse plugin download URL with error: %w", err)
 		}
 		if pluginURL.Scheme != "https" {
 			return fmt.Errorf("failed to download plugin from URL: only the HTTPS scheme is supported, but got %s", pluginURL.Scheme)
@@ -143,10 +148,12 @@ func install(command *cobra.Command, opts *pluginInstallOpts) error {
 		}
 		defer os.Remove(tmpFile.Name())
 		defer tmpFile.Close()
-		fmt.Printf("Downloading plugin from %s\n", opts.pluginSource)
+		// do not show the password of the URL in the output
+		redactedURL := pluginURL.Redacted()
+		fmt.Printf("Downloading plugin from %s\n", redactedURL)
 		err = notationplugin.DownloadPluginFromURL(ctx, opts.pluginSource, tmpFile)
 		if err != nil {
-			return fmt.Errorf("failed to download plugin from URL %s with error: %w", opts.pluginSource, err)
+			return fmt.Errorf("failed to download plugin from URL %s with error: %w", redactedURL, err)
 		}
 		fmt.Println("Download completed")
 		if err := installPlugin(ctx, tmpFile.Name(), opts.inputChecksum, opts.force); err != nil {
diff --git a/cmd/notation/plugin/install_test.go b/cmd/notation/plugin/install_test.go
index d739ef8d3..c7a26a164 100644
--- a/cmd/notation/plugin/install_test.go
+++ b/cmd/notation/plugin/install_test.go
@@ -33,13 +33,52 @@ func TestInstall(t *testing.T) {
 			inputChecksum:    "dummy",
 			pluginSource:     "http://[::1]/%",
 		}
-		expectedErrMsg := `failed to parse plugin download URL http://[::1]/% with error: parse "http://[::1]/%": invalid URL escape "%"`
+		expectedErrMsg := `failed to parse plugin download URL with error: invalid URL escape "%"`
 		err := install(&cobra.Command{}, opts)
 		if err == nil || err.Error() != expectedErrMsg {
 			t.Fatalf("expected error %s, but got %s", expectedErrMsg, err)
 		}
 	})
 
+	t.Run("invalid plugin source url with credentials", func(t *testing.T) {
+		opts := &pluginInstallOpts{
+			pluginSourceType: notationplugin.PluginSourceTypeURL,
+			inputChecksum:    "dummy",
+			pluginSource:     "https://user:s3cret@localhost:badport/plugin.tar.gz",
+		}
+		err := install(&cobra.Command{}, opts)
+		if err == nil {
+			t.Fatal("install() expected an error, but got nil")
+		}
+		if !strings.Contains(err.Error(), "failed to parse plugin download URL") {
+			t.Errorf("install() error = %q, want a parse error", err)
+		}
+		if strings.Contains(err.Error(), "s3cret") {
+			t.Errorf("install() error contains the password: %q", err)
+		}
+	})
+
+	t.Run("failed download with credentials in the url", func(t *testing.T) {
+		cmd := &cobra.Command{}
+		cmd.SetContext(context.Background())
+		// nothing listens on port 1, so the connection is refused
+		opts := &pluginInstallOpts{
+			pluginSourceType: notationplugin.PluginSourceTypeURL,
+			inputChecksum:    "dummy",
+			pluginSource:     "https://user:s3cret@127.0.0.1:1/plugin.tar.gz",
+		}
+		err := install(cmd, opts)
+		if err == nil {
+			t.Fatal("install() expected an error, but got nil")
+		}
+		if want := "failed to download plugin from URL https://user:xxxxx@127.0.0.1:1/plugin.tar.gz"; !strings.Contains(err.Error(), want) {
+			t.Errorf("install() error = %q, want it to contain %q", err, want)
+		}
+		if strings.Contains(err.Error(), "s3cret") {
+			t.Errorf("install() error contains the password: %q", err)
+		}
+	})
+
 	t.Run("unknown plugin source type", func(t *testing.T) {
 		opts := &pluginInstallOpts{
 			pluginSourceType: -1,