I enabled MFA on my cloud account years ago, but the phone number may be incorrect or tied to an old landline, so I can no longer complete the root-account login. I have no IAM users available as an alternative. Now I need to upgrade both the operating system and my MySQL instance from 8.0.x to 8.4.x, but MFA is blocking access. Because the older MySQL version entered extended maintenance, my monthly bill increased from about $40 to $200. I have already opened a support case, exchanged messages, and provided a seven-hour window for a call, but nobody has contacted me. I accept that the MFA setup was my mistake; I just need to regain access, update the environment, and stop the extra charges. What is the proper way to get this resolved?
3 Answers
The account owner is responsible for keeping recovery methods current, especially after advance notices about engine deprecation. Still, the next step is constructive: continue through the documented account-recovery channel, provide every requested verification document, and follow up through the existing case if the promised callback does not happen. Afterward, add backup administrators and multiple recovery options so one inaccessible phone number cannot lock everyone out again.
The extended-maintenance charge is a consequence of leaving the database on an older engine version, but support generally cannot bypass account security just because the bill increased. Keep the recovery case focused on restoring MFA access, and separately ask billing support whether any adjustment or credit is available while the recovery request is being handled. After logging in, upgrade the database and operating system carefully, with backups and a rollback plan.
If the root account is the only account with access, this has to go through the provider’s official root-account and MFA recovery process. Be prepared to complete the required identity verification, which may include an affidavit and government ID photos. Once access is restored, create an administrative IAM user, secure it with a separate MFA device, and avoid using the root account for routine work.
That appears to be the situation here. I have only used the root account and never created an IAM user, so I’m working through the identity-verification process now.