Microsoft has blocked the account associated with VeraCrypt, a widely used encryption software, raising doubts about future updates for this software on Windows, said VeraCrypt developer Mounir Idrassi. He claims he received no emails or prior warnings from Microsoft, and in his opinion, the responses from the company's support team were generated by an AI.
The disk encryption software VeraCrypt, developed by IDRIX, is based on TrueCrypt 7.1a. It adds enhanced security to the algorithms used for encrypting systems and partitions, making it resilient against new developments in brute-force attack methods. It also addresses many vulnerabilities and security issues found in TrueCrypt. VeraCrypt can mount TrueCrypt volumes and convert them to VeraCrypt format.
VeraCrypt is an open-source data encryption tool that allows users to create encrypted partitions or individual encrypted volumes on their drives. This software can also create an additional false volume with realistic content, which will mimic real data if forced to provide credentials under pressure from authorities or malicious actors.
Last week, Idrassi reported on the SourceForge forum that 'Microsoft has blocked the account I have used for years to sign Windows drivers and the bootloader.' Idrassi clarified that his company IDRIX's account was blocked. 'As you can read in their message, they say that the organization (IDRIX) does not meet their requirements, but I do not see which specific requirement IDRIX suddenly no longer meets,' he added.
The blockage occurred in mid-January. Idrassi shared what he described as the only message he received regarding the account closure: 'Based on the information you provided, we have determined that your organization currently does not meet the requirements for verification. Appeals are not permitted; we have closed your request,' reads the message from Microsoft.
'As for VeraCrypt, I cannot publish updates for Windows. Updates for Linux and macOS are still possible, but Windows is the platform used by most users, so the inability to release Windows updates is a significant blow to the project,' said Idrassi. 'Currently, I have no other options.'
He added that in attempts to contact Microsoft support, he received automatic responses that, in his opinion, contained text generated by artificial intelligence. 'The lack of communication from Microsoft when making such decisions adds uncertainty to the future, and combined with automated feedback from AI, this gives such decisions a dehumanized character,' Idrassi believes.
Popular VPN-client WireGuard faced a similar problem. 'No warning, no notification. One day I logged in to post an update, and horror, my account was blocked,' wrote Jason Donenfeld, the creator of WireGuard.
Such actions by Microsoft highlight the complex supply chain associated with publishing open-source software, especially software that relies, even indirectly, on major tech companies.
Source:
Source: 3dnews.ru
