Windows 11 Smart App Control / WDAC blocking standard Python binaries (_socket.pyd, _wmi.pyd) in open-source apps (QGIS)

Hello Microsoft Support Team,

I am facing a persistent issue where Windows Defender Application Control (WDAC) / Smart App Control (SAC) is blocking legitimate open-source binary files (.pyd / .dll) required by QGIS (Version 3.44.15).

Even after performing a complete fresh installation of the software and removing all conflicting environments, Windows Security keeps blocking the application's internal python libraries, throwing an Application Control Policy block error.

Here is the exact pop-up alert details and the generated python crash log:

Windows Security

Part of this app has been blocked

Some features of C:\Program Files\QGIS 3.44.15\bin \qgis-ltr-bin.exe may not work because we can't confirm who published_wmi.pyd that the app tried to load.

Exact Application Error Log:

Couldn't load plugin 'grassprovider' due to an error when calling its classFactory() method ImportError: DLL load failed while importing _socket: An Application Control policy has blocked this file. Traceback (most recent call last): File "C:\PROGRA~1/QGIS34~1.15/apps/qgis-ltr/./python\qgis\utils.py", line 480, in startPlugin plugins[packageName] = package.classFactory(iface) ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ File "C:\PROGRA~1/QGIS34~1.15/apps/qgis-ltr/./python/plugins\grassprovider_init.py", line 24, in classFactory from grassprovider.grass_plugin import GrassProviderPlugin File "C:\PROGRA~1/QGIS34~1.15/apps/qgis-ltr/./python\qgis\utils.py", line 1102, in _import mod = _builtin_import(name, globals, locals, fromlist, level) ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ File "C:\PROGRA~1/QGIS34~1.15/apps/qgis-ltr/./python/plugins\grassprovider\grass_plugin.py", line 26, in from grassprovider.grass_provider import GrassProvider File "C:\PROGRA~1/QGIS34~1.15/apps/qgis-ltr/./python\qgis\utils.py", line 1102, in _import mod = _builtin_import(name, globals, locals, fromlist, level) ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ File "C:\PROGRA~1/QGIS34~1.15/apps/qgis-ltr/./python/plugins\grassprovider\grass_provider.py", line 34, in from processing.core.ProcessingConfig import ProcessingConfig, Setting File "C:\PROGRA~1/QGIS34~1.15/apps/qgis-ltr/./python\qgis\utils.py", line 1102, in _import mod = builtin_import(name, globals, locals, fromlist, level) ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ File "C:\PROGRA~1/QGIS34~1.15/apps/qgis-ltr/./python/plugins\processing_init.py", line 22, in from processing.tools.dataobjects import * # NOQA ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ File "C:\PROGRA~1/QGIS34~1.15/apps/qgis-ltr/./python\qgis\utils.py", line 1102, in _import mod = _builtin_import(name, globals, locals, fromlist, level) ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ File "C:\PROGRA~1/QGIS34~1.15/apps/qgis-ltr/./python/plugins\processing\tools\dataobjects.py", line 43, in from processing.core.ProcessingConfig import ProcessingConfig File "C:\PROGRA~1/QGIS34~1.15/apps/qgis-ltr/./python\qgis\utils.py", line 1102, in _import mod = _builtin_import(name, globals, locals, fromlist, level) ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ File "C:\PROGRA~1/QGIS34~1.15/apps/qgis-ltr/./python/plugins\processing\core\ProcessingConfig.py", line 37, in from multiprocessing import cpu_count File "C:\PROGRA~1/QGIS34~1.15/apps/qgis-ltr/./python\qgis\utils.py", line 1102, in _import mod = builtin_import(name, globals, locals, fromlist, level) ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ File "C:\PROGRA~1\QGIS34~1.15\apps\Python312\Lib\multiprocessing_init.py", line 16, in from . import context File "C:\PROGRA~1/QGIS34~1.15/apps/qgis-ltr/./python\qgis\utils.py", line 1102, in _import mod = _builtin_import(name, globals, locals, fromlist, level) ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ File "C:\PROGRA~1\QGIS34~1.15\apps\Python312\Lib\multiprocessing\context.py", line 6, in from . import reduction File "C:\PROGRA~1/QGIS34~1.15/apps/qgis-ltr/./python\qgis\utils.py", line 1102, in _import mod = _builtin_import(name, globals, locals, fromlist, level) ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ File "C:\PROGRA~1\QGIS34~1.15\apps\Python312\Lib\multiprocessing\reduction.py", line 16, in import socket File "C:\PROGRA~1/QGIS34~1.15/apps/qgis-ltr/./python\qgis\utils.py", line 1102, in _import mod = _builtin_import(name, globals, locals, fromlist, level) ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ File "C:\PROGRA~1\QGIS34~1.15\apps\Python312\Lib\socket.py", line 52, in import _socket File "C:\PROGRA~1/QGIS34~1.15/apps/qgis-ltr/./python\qgis\utils.py", line 1102, in _import mod = _builtin_import(name, globals, locals, fromlist, level) ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ImportError: DLL load failed while importing _socket: An Application Control policy has blocked this file.Python version: 3.12.15 (main, Oct 2 2026, 17:29:02) [MSC v.1944 64 bit (AMD64)] QGIS version: 3.44.15-Solothurn Solothurn, 44b4ef05178 Python Path:C:/PROGRA~1/QGIS34~1.15/apps/qgis-ltr/./pythonC:/Users/kisho/AppData/Roaming/QGIS/QGIS3\profiles\default/pythonC:/Users/kisho/AppData/Roaming/QGIS/QGIS3\profiles\default/python/pluginsC:/PROGRA~1/QGIS34~1.15/apps/qgis-ltr/./python/pluginsC:\PROGRA~1\QGIS34~1.15\apps\grass\grass85\etc\pythonC:\Users\kisho\DocumentsC:\Program Files\QGIS 3.44.15\bin\python312.zipC:\PROGRA~1\QGIS34~1.15\apps\Python312\DLLsC:\PROGRA~1\QGIS34~1.15\apps\Python312\LibC:\PROGRA~1\QGIS34~1.15\binC:\PROGRA~1\QGIS34~1.15\apps\Python312C:\PROGRA~1\QGIS34~1.15\apps\Python312\Lib\site-packagesC:\PROGRA~1\QGIS34~1.15\apps\Python312\Lib\site-packages\win32C:\PROGRA~1\QGIS34~1.15\apps\Python312\Lib\site-packages\win32\libC:\PROGRA~1\QGIS34~1.15\apps\Python312\Lib\site-packages\pythonwinC:/Users/kisho/AppData/Roaming/QGIS/QGIS3\profiles\default/python

System Context:

• OS: Windows 11 Home Single Language
• version: 26H2
• Security Settings: Smart App Control is active.
• Note: I strictly do not want to completely turn off Smart App Control due to standard security protocols on my machine. Since these blocked files (_socket.pyd and _wmi.pyd) are essential standard core libraries packed within the trusted official open-source QGIS distribution, how can I allow or whitelist these specific files/folders under the current Windows Application Control policy rules without disabling the entire system security mechanism? Any guidance on applying a localized policy override or proper certificate handling for this setup will be highly appreciated. Thank you.