Edge 109.0.1518.49

[German]Microsoft released on January 12, 2023, the Edge browser version 109.0.1518.49  in the stable channel. It is a new development branch that follows the Chromium team's release. This is the last version that will still run with Windows 7 SP1 and Windows 8.1, as well as their server counterparts. From version 110 onwards, trouble threatens in other places.

Edge 109.0.1518.49 Stable Channel

According to the release notes, the update to the Microsoft Edge Stable Channel (version109.0.1518.49) includes the latest security updates from the Chromium project (see Google Chrome version 109.0.5414.xx / 108.0.5359.179). In addition, the following Edge-specific vulnerabilities are closed:

• CVE-2023-21775
• CVE-2023-21796

The changes in the new Edge 109 are listeted here.

• Account Linking between a personal Microsoft account (MSA) and Azure Active Directory (AAD) account. Microsoft is enabling users to link a personal Microsoft account (MSA) and Azure Active Directory (AAD) account through work or school. Once linked, users can earn Microsoft Rewards points for Microsoft Bing searches done in their browser or Windows search box while signed in with their work or school account.
• TLS server certificate verification changes. In Microsoft Edge version 110, the certificate trust list and the certificate verifier will be decoupled from the host operating system's root store. Instead, the default certificate trust list and the certificate verifier will be provided by and shipped with the browser. The MicrosoftRootStoreEnabled policy is now available for testing to control when the built-in root store and certificate verifier are used. Support for the policy is planned to be removed in Microsoft Edge version 111.
• Text prediction. To help you write faster and with fewer mistakes, Microsoft Edge provides word and sentence predictions for long-form editable text fields on web pages. Administrators can control the availability of text predictions using the TextPredictionEnabled policy. Text prediction is currently only available in English within the US, India, and Australia. We will continue to add new languages and regions in future versions of Microsoft Edge.

And there are some policy changes in Edge 109 – details may be read here. The Edge should be updated automatically.

Attention with the Edge 110

The Edge version 110 is not only the first version that only runs from Windows 10. Note also the changes in the verification of TSL mentioned above in TLS server certificate verification changes. 

In Microsoft Edge version 110, the certificate trust list and the certificate verifier will be decoupled from the host operating system's root store. Instead, the default certificate trust list and the certificate verifier will be provided by and shipped with the browser.

The MicrosoftRootStoreEnabled policy is now available for testing to control when the built-in root store and certificate verifier are used. Support for the policy is planned to be removed in Microsoft Edge version 111. This is a controlled rollout (A/B test) of the feature in Microsoft Edge version 109. German blog reader Martin Feuerstein pointed that out and wrote:

The admin is happy that Chrome (afaik always) and descendants (such as Chromium Edge) use the certificate store of the host, Firefox also enabled this at some point. And now Microsoft wants to turn the wheel back – Even provided CA certificates distributed via GPO will then probably no longer be accepted.

Simply keep in mind in the corporate environment.

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Google Chrome version 109.0.5414.xx / 108.0.5359.179
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