#Microsoft locks account that #VeraCrypt maintainer uses to sign #Windows bootloaders with no explanation or route for appeal.
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@jeffcodes @gsuberland @azonenberg @jik @zackwhittaker I'm very sorry, but users that aren't capable of getting help with recovering such data from someone that can handle a Linux Live ISO shouldn't be using VeraCrypt to begin with.
It's extremely likely to just cause your system to stop booting (and that has happened to me 5+ times in the years I was using it) -- it's just a regular occurance and you'll need to deal with these things as a user.@manawyrm @gsuberland @azonenberg @jik @zackwhittaker
IMO, it is not acceptable to simply overlook these hurdles and say, "this is not available to you because you're not technical like me." These tools are necessary against the mass surveillance of the companies like Microsoft, Google, etc. and governments alike.
We, as technologist, should be working to make these more accessible to those who are not technologists too. Those folks deserve the right and privacy and security like the rest of us. -
@manawyrm @gsuberland @azonenberg @jik @zackwhittaker
IMO, it is not acceptable to simply overlook these hurdles and say, "this is not available to you because you're not technical like me." These tools are necessary against the mass surveillance of the companies like Microsoft, Google, etc. and governments alike.
We, as technologist, should be working to make these more accessible to those who are not technologists too. Those folks deserve the right and privacy and security like the rest of us.@jeffcodes @gsuberland @azonenberg @jik @zackwhittaker You're absolutely right and will get no argument from me there. I have always supported people encrypting their drives and will give support to people trying to do that.
Still, VeraCrypt is just a very fragile piece of kit and users need to know that and be able to either fix it themselves or know someone who can do it.
Telling just random people on the streets to install it will indeed just block access to their data -- even without MS.
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R relay@relay.publicsquare.global shared this topic
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#Microsoft locks account that #VeraCrypt maintainer uses to sign #Windows bootloaders with no explanation or route for appeal. If they don't fix this, in a few months every Windows computer that uses VeraCrypt whole-disk encryption will stop being able to boot and all the data on it that isn't backed up elsewhere will be lost.
If this doesn't convince you big tech has too much control, I don't know what will.
h/t @zackwhittaker
https://techcrunch.com/2026/04/08/veracrypt-encryption-software-windows-microsoft-lock-boot-issues/
#infosec #privacy #TechIsShitDispatch@jik @zackwhittaker
> If they don't fix this, in a few months every Windows computer that uses VeraCrypt whole-disk encryption will stop being able to boot and all the data on it that isn't backed up elsewhere will be lost.
uhmmm this seems like a pretty big design flaw. Imagine if on FreeBSD or Linux that your GELI / LUKS encryption stops working because some developer's computer was inaccessible.... -
@jeffcodes @gsuberland @azonenberg @jik @zackwhittaker You're absolutely right and will get no argument from me there. I have always supported people encrypting their drives and will give support to people trying to do that.
Still, VeraCrypt is just a very fragile piece of kit and users need to know that and be able to either fix it themselves or know someone who can do it.
Telling just random people on the streets to install it will indeed just block access to their data -- even without MS.
@manawyrm @gsuberland @azonenberg @jik @zackwhittaker
Fair enough. I don't encourage just anyone either. Those who I have encouraged also know to call me if something blows up!
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#Microsoft locks account that #VeraCrypt maintainer uses to sign #Windows bootloaders with no explanation or route for appeal. If they don't fix this, in a few months every Windows computer that uses VeraCrypt whole-disk encryption will stop being able to boot and all the data on it that isn't backed up elsewhere will be lost.
If this doesn't convince you big tech has too much control, I don't know what will.
h/t @zackwhittaker
https://techcrunch.com/2026/04/08/veracrypt-encryption-software-windows-microsoft-lock-boot-issues/
#infosec #privacy #TechIsShitDispatch@jik @zackwhittaker
Encouraging the switch to a new Windows, a new PC, a new slop.
And reminding me I still have a VeraCrypt volume somewhere. -
@manawyrm @azonenberg @jik @zackwhittaker (yes just checked and this is exactly how it works)
@gsuberland @manawyrm @azonenberg @jik @zackwhittaker the certificates used to sign them do have an expiry but timestamps solve both expired cert and expired CA. The only way to revoke it is to add that cert to a CRL and leave it there permanently. I've no idea if the windows kernel checks crls or just maintains a list of blocked certs but I'd expect it to share the logic with windows and keep a cached crl (could be wrong, a long time since I cared much about windows drivers).
UEFI I don't think checks either expiry or timestamps at all. Instead it has the dbx which can contain blocked certificates or hashes of binaries that should not load.
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@gsuberland @manawyrm @azonenberg @jik @zackwhittaker the certificates used to sign them do have an expiry but timestamps solve both expired cert and expired CA. The only way to revoke it is to add that cert to a CRL and leave it there permanently. I've no idea if the windows kernel checks crls or just maintains a list of blocked certs but I'd expect it to share the logic with windows and keep a cached crl (could be wrong, a long time since I cared much about windows drivers).
UEFI I don't think checks either expiry or timestamps at all. Instead it has the dbx which can contain blocked certificates or hashes of binaries that should not load.
@gsuberland @manawyrm @azonenberg @jik @zackwhittaker they're blocked on signing new builds.
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@gsuberland @manawyrm @azonenberg @jik @zackwhittaker the certificates used to sign them do have an expiry but timestamps solve both expired cert and expired CA. The only way to revoke it is to add that cert to a CRL and leave it there permanently. I've no idea if the windows kernel checks crls or just maintains a list of blocked certs but I'd expect it to share the logic with windows and keep a cached crl (could be wrong, a long time since I cared much about windows drivers).
UEFI I don't think checks either expiry or timestamps at all. Instead it has the dbx which can contain blocked certificates or hashes of binaries that should not load.
@diagprov @manawyrm @azonenberg @jik @zackwhittaker yup that tracks with my understanding of it. Windows does have a driver cert revocation mechanism and a more general blocklist to prevent loading known-vulnerable drivers, but I haven't studied it in detail.
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@diagprov @manawyrm @azonenberg @jik @zackwhittaker yup that tracks with my understanding of it. Windows does have a driver cert revocation mechanism and a more general blocklist to prevent loading known-vulnerable drivers, but I haven't studied it in detail.
@gsuberland @manawyrm @azonenberg @jik @zackwhittaker me neither but given how closely uefi code looks to Microsoft C code I bet the mechanism of dbx is very similar to the kernel.
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#Microsoft locks account that #VeraCrypt maintainer uses to sign #Windows bootloaders with no explanation or route for appeal. If they don't fix this, in a few months every Windows computer that uses VeraCrypt whole-disk encryption will stop being able to boot and all the data on it that isn't backed up elsewhere will be lost.
If this doesn't convince you big tech has too much control, I don't know what will.
h/t @zackwhittaker
https://techcrunch.com/2026/04/08/veracrypt-encryption-software-windows-microsoft-lock-boot-issues/
#infosec #privacy #TechIsShitDispatch@jik yeah, I just decided never to back up anywhere that wasn't a disk I owned...
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@diagprov @manawyrm @azonenberg @jik @zackwhittaker yup that tracks with my understanding of it. Windows does have a driver cert revocation mechanism and a more general blocklist to prevent loading known-vulnerable drivers, but I haven't studied it in detail.
@gsuberland @diagprov @manawyrm @azonenberg @jik @zackwhittaker there are two types of revocation lists, the old one that can revoke certs and binaries by hash (two different lists for boot and drivers), and the new one that's just a CiPolicy and can therefore revoke by anything that a CiPolicy supports. -
#Microsoft locks account that #VeraCrypt maintainer uses to sign #Windows bootloaders with no explanation or route for appeal. If they don't fix this, in a few months every Windows computer that uses VeraCrypt whole-disk encryption will stop being able to boot and all the data on it that isn't backed up elsewhere will be lost.
If this doesn't convince you big tech has too much control, I don't know what will.
h/t @zackwhittaker
https://techcrunch.com/2026/04/08/veracrypt-encryption-software-windows-microsoft-lock-boot-issues/
#infosec #privacy #TechIsShitDispatch@jik@federate.social @zackwhittaker@mastodon.social depending on microslop has consequences tbh
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#Microsoft locks account that #VeraCrypt maintainer uses to sign #Windows bootloaders with no explanation or route for appeal. If they don't fix this, in a few months every Windows computer that uses VeraCrypt whole-disk encryption will stop being able to boot and all the data on it that isn't backed up elsewhere will be lost.
If this doesn't convince you big tech has too much control, I don't know what will.
h/t @zackwhittaker
https://techcrunch.com/2026/04/08/veracrypt-encryption-software-windows-microsoft-lock-boot-issues/
#infosec #privacy #TechIsShitDispatch@jik @zackwhittaker what
Why would being unable to sign stuff stop you from booting and decrypting your disk "in a few months"
What did VeraCrypt do
Why do they even have M$ signing keys
Whay
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#Microsoft locks account that #VeraCrypt maintainer uses to sign #Windows bootloaders with no explanation or route for appeal. If they don't fix this, in a few months every Windows computer that uses VeraCrypt whole-disk encryption will stop being able to boot and all the data on it that isn't backed up elsewhere will be lost.
If this doesn't convince you big tech has too much control, I don't know what will.
h/t @zackwhittaker
https://techcrunch.com/2026/04/08/veracrypt-encryption-software-windows-microsoft-lock-boot-issues/
#infosec #privacy #TechIsShitDispatch -
#Microsoft locks account that #VeraCrypt maintainer uses to sign #Windows bootloaders with no explanation or route for appeal. If they don't fix this, in a few months every Windows computer that uses VeraCrypt whole-disk encryption will stop being able to boot and all the data on it that isn't backed up elsewhere will be lost.
If this doesn't convince you big tech has too much control, I don't know what will.
h/t @zackwhittaker
https://techcrunch.com/2026/04/08/veracrypt-encryption-software-windows-microsoft-lock-boot-issues/
#infosec #privacy #TechIsShitDispatch@jik @zackwhittaker big tech can eat a big dick
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Z zak@infosec.exchange shared this topic
