Closed Encounters of an Edge kind

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Google Chrome 103.0.5060.114 has just been released, addressing a fourth zero day exploit this year which, is apparently in-the-wild. No doubt edge, brave vivaldi and opera will follow suit very soon.

With Chromium based edge now part of the furniture in Win10 21H2, there are those who have not used edge at all which lays dormant and out-of-date without any activation.
Isn’t this a potential security concern in itself that can be bypassed? (now or even in the future)

Surely Microsoft’s AI, diagnostics and telemetry should be able to distinguish the need whether activated or not to update the ‘browser’ ? (the most important portal to the world-wild-web)

My suggestion would be to have a dedicated additional ‘Edge Update‘ button within the security settings of Win10/11 that temporarily over-rides any settings to update accordingly whether activated or not.

IMHO, keeping infront of miscreants is better than chasing/ fixing their clusters, now and in the future. These h@cking teams are getting smarter by the week, just look at the reports on bleeping computer and how they find a way in.

my tuppence..

No problem can be solved from the same level of consciousness that created IT- AE

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Edge doesn’t require activation and automatically updates by default.

Windows 11 Pro version 22H2 build 22621.2361 + Microsoft 365 + Edge

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Microfix, Alex5723

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Microfix wrote:

there are those who have not used edge at all

I am among that number.  Right-clicking on the Edge icon in my Start Menu and selecting Properties I get this:

Always create a fresh drive image before making system changes/Windows updates; you may need to start over!

We were all once "Average Users". We all have our own reasons for doing the things that we do with our systems, we don't need anyone's approval, and we don't all have to do the same things.

Computer Specs

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Microfix, TechTango, Alex5723

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I update Edge manually.

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Microfix

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And if it were portable, you’d have that too 🙂

No problem can be solved from the same level of consciousness that created IT- AE

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I don’t use Edge so I checked C:Program Files (x86)\Microsoft\Edge\Application\msedge.exe

It seems to be up to date.

cheers, Paul

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Microfix

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About Edge will tell you if it’s up to date. Three dots at top right, Help and feedback at bottom, about MS Edge gives you this:

Eliminate spare time: start programming PowerShell

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Opening Edge will allow it to update if updates are managed by Edge. My test shows the update is independent of Edge being run, which is the point of the OP,

cheers, Paul

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Microfix

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If you take a look in Windows Scheduler you’ll find there are tasks there specifically set to update Edge on a regular basis regardless of whether it’s your default browser or even if it’s been activated/used on your PC.

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An Autoruns search provides some interesting detail on Edge.

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Microfix, oldfry

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These findings weren’t on any of our devices, edge updates in the background here.. That person had SFC errors which are now fixed and working normally, updated itself to 1264.44 More than likely a glitch given the 100.x.xxx.version They don’t use edge, so wouldn’t have noticed, which is why it got me concerned.

Although looking further afield to alternative webkit browsers, I see that third parties have already issued releases.

Updated:
4th July – Chrome 103.0.5060.114
5th July – Brave 1.40.113
Vivaldi 5.3.2679.68
Opera 88.0.4412.74

All to mitigate the in-the-wild exploit.

and edge is currently still at 103.0.1264.44 (released 30th June)

No problem can be solved from the same level of consciousness that created IT- AE

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Microfix wrote:

All to mitigate the in-the-wild exploit.

and edge is currently still at 103.0.1264.44 (released 30th June)

Updated now:

July 6, 2022

Microsoft has released the latest Microsoft Edge Stable Channel (Version 103.0.1264.49), which incorporates the latest Security Updates of the Chromium project. This update contains a fix for CVE-2022-2294, that has been reported by the Chromium team as having an exploit in the wild.

Release notes for Microsoft Edge Security Updates

Windows 11 Pro version 22H2 build 22621.2361 + Microsoft 365 + Edge

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Microfix wrote:

And if it were portable, you’d have that too 🙂

I do it with portable Firefox ESR every time there is a new version.

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