Microsoft has suspended developer accounts used to maintain several high-profile open source projects . According to the developers, this was done without proper notice and without the ability to quickly restore , preventing the release of new software versions and security updates for Windows users . The move has caused serious concern in the open source community and has left hundreds of thousands of users without critical security updates.
The list of affected projects includes, among others, the Virtual Private Network (VPN) software WireGuard , the encryption tool VeraCrypt , the memory diagnostic tool MemTest86 , and the VPN software Windscribe . All of these projects are critical security tools used by millions of users worldwide to protect their data.
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VeraCrypt developer Mounir Idrassi said last week: “ Microsoft I have been using for years to sign Windows drivers and the bootloader. Microsoft has not sent me any email or warning. I have not received any explanation for the termination and their message indicates that no appeal is possible has suspended the account .”
Idrassi stressed that he cannot release updates for Windows, while updates for Linux and macOS can still be made.
The same experience was shared by developers behind other widely used projects, including WireGuard maintainer Jason A. Donenfeld and the developers of Windscribe and MemTest86 . All reported that they had been trying to contact a human at Microsoft support for weeks without success.
Automatic suspension due to unverified Microsoft accounts
Donenfeld described the situation: “No warning, no notification. One day I log in to post an update, and oops, the account is suspended. I’m currently going through some 60-day, but who knows.” The WireGuard expressed concerns about what would happen if there was a critical vulnerability that was being actively exploited and needed immediate user notification.
Following media reports, Microsoft vice president Scott Hanselmanexplained that developer accounts were automatically suspended because they failed the “mandatory account verification for all partners in the Windows Hardware Program.” The company claimed that it had sent emails to “everyone” about this process since October 2025.
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According to an article in the Hardware Dev Center published on October 1, the account verification process began on October 16 and would result in automatic suspension from the Windows Hardware Program if partners failed to complete it within 30 days. Microsoft announced on March 30 that “account verification for the Windows Hardware Program is now complete” and that accounts that did not successfully complete verification have been suspended.
Impact on security and users
The suspension of these accounts has serious security implications for Windows users . WireGuard is the basis for many commercial VPNs such as Mullvad , while VeraCrypt is used by hundreds of thousands of users to encrypt files and operating systems. Idrassi warned that failure to update before the certificate expires could prevent users from booting their systems.
The situation was made worse by the fact that developers had received no warning of the impending suspension, despite Microsoft that it had sent out notifications. This created a situation where critical security tools went without updates for weeks, exposing users to potential security risks.
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According to BleepingComputer, after Hanselman and the publicity the issue received, Microsoft began addressing the issue. Idrassi confirmed that Hanselman contacted him to help restore the suspended account, stating that “the social media posts and the interview with journalists helped to get a response from Microsoft.”
Source: www.bleepingcomputer.com
