It is now time for Microsoft to update its Edge browser with new features, policies, and security updates. Edge version 106.0.1370.34 has been released which you can upgrade to using the given guide down below.
This Edge release includes 9 Chromium-based and 1 Edge-specific security update. However, the highest severity rating of these security updates is “High,” and not “Critical.” The Edge-specific vulnerability addressed is CVE-2022-41035 which is a spoofing vulnerability whose severity is “Moderate.”
Some new features have also been introduced with this release, while some policies have been deprecated and will become obsolete in the next release. Edge 106 offers a more reliable web defense as it rewrites the Microsoft Defender SmartScreen library. Moreover, Microsoft has also increased the maximum number of work results from 2 to 4 in the Omnibox search.
Release Summary
- Complete Release Build: 106.0.1370.34
- Release Date: Monday, October 3rd, 2022
- Compatibility: Windows 11, 10, 8.1, 7 (32-bit and 64-bit), Mac, Linux, iOS, and Android.
- Previous Build: Edge 105
- Bug Fixes: 10. More information about security fixes can be found here.
Improvements in Edge 106
Feature Improvements
Microsoft has improved the web defense for Microsoft Edge. The Microsoft Defender SmartScreen library which was introduced with Edge 103, will now be rewritten with improved performance, making your browsing more secure.
Moreover, the NewSmarScreenLibraryEnabled policy is now deprecated and will become obsolete when Edge 107 is released later this month.
Microsoft has also increased the maximum number of results that appear below the Omnibox from 2 to 4, offering greater visibility to more work results. However, for this change to take effect the AddressBarMicrosoftSearchInBingProiderEnabled policy needs to be enabled, which can be found at the following location inside the Group Policy editor:
Computer Coniguration >> Administrative Templates >> Windows Components >> Microsoft Edge >> Configure search suggestions in Address bar
New Policies
The following list of policies has been introduced with Edge 106:
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EfficiencyModeEnabled
Description: Enables efficiency mode which helps extend battery life by saving computer resources. By default, efficiency mode is enabled for devices with a battery and disabled otherwise.
Location:
Computer Coniguration >> Administrative Templates >> Windows Components >> Microsoft Edge >> Configure Efficiency mode
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EfficiencyModeOnPowerEnabled
Description: Allows efficiency mode to become active when the device is connected to a power source. On devices with no battery, this policy has no effect.
Location:
Computer Coniguration >> Administrative Templates >> Windows Components >> Microsoft Edge >> Configure efficiency mode when the device is connected to a power source
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InternetExplorerIntegrityAlwaysUseOSCapture
Description: Configure this policy to control whether Microsoft Edge will use the “OS capture engine” or the “Browser capture engine” when capturing browser windows in the same process using the screen-share APIs.
Location:
Computer Coniguration >> Administrative Templates >> Windows Components >> Microsoft Edge >> Configure always use OS capture engine
Deprecated and Obsolete Policies
Some policies have also been deprecated with Edge 106, while some have become obsolete.
Deprecated Policies:
- NewSmartScreenLibraryEnabled
- ShadowStackCrashRollbackBehavior
Obsolete Policies:
- OulookHubMenuEnabled
- EdgeDiscoverEnabled
Update to Edge 106
If you already have Microsoft Edge on your PC, you can simply upgrade it to the latest build using the guide given further down below. If not, use the links given in the next section to install it now.
Microsoft Edge comes preinstalled in Windows 11 and 10. Learn how to uninstall Microsoft Edge. If you wish to reinstall Edge, you can go here.
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Click on the ellipses in the top-right corner of the browser, expand Help and feedback, and then click About Microsoft Edge.
About Microsoft Edge -
Edge will now begin to scan for an update, and then download and install it if one is available. Once the download is completed, you will need to Restart the browser.
Restart Edge
Once it relaunches, you can return to the About page and check that it has been updated to version 106.0.1370.34.
Download Security Baseline for Microsoft Edge 106
The security baseline for Edge 106 is pretty much the same as it was for Edge 98, except for the few policy changes which we have already mentioned above. To gain more control over the browser and your PC, you can install this security baseline using the given steps:
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Open the page for Microsoft Security Compliance Toolkit 1.0. Scroll down and then click Download.
Download Microsoft Security Compliance Toolkit -
Check the box next to Microsoft Edge v98 Baseline.zip (and any other baselines you may require) and then click Next.
Select security baseline -
Your download should now begin. When downloaded, extract the files into a separate folder.
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When extracted, navigate to the following location within the extracted folder:
Microsoft Edge v98 Security Baseline >> Scripts
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Now right-click Baseline-LocalInstall and click on Run with PowerShell from the context menu.
Run baseline with PowerShell To run the baseline for Active Directory, you should run the Baseline-ADImport script instead.
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The script will now run automatically. Wait for the PowerShell window to close on its own.
You have now successfully installed the latest security baseline for Microsoft Edge 106.
With that, there is also an issue with this Edge update.
Closing Thoughts
Since this update does not address any critical vulnerabilities, therefore there is no rush to install the latest Edge release at the moment. That said, we always recommend that you have the latest available software installed to mitigate any issues and security threats unless they introduce more problems than they fix.
There are currently no known issues with Edge, which is why it may be safe to upgrade to Edge 106.
Microsoft Edge Update History
| Edge Version | Release Date | Features & improvements |
|---|---|---|
| Edge 119 | 2-Nov-23 | Addresses 16 vulnerabilities, improves split-screen restore, ability to manage sidebar app auto-launch, “Always show sidebar” option placed under Copilot settings |
| Edge 118 | 13-Oct-23 | Addresses 15 vulnerabilities, and introduces AI-powered Find on Page. |
| Edge 117 | 15-Sep-23 | Addresses 14 vulnerabilities, includes More Tools deprecations and unload event deprecation, includes support for Microsoft Edge for Business for BYOPC via Intune. |
| Edge 116 | 21-Aug-23 | Addresses 23 vulnerabilities, introduces split screen, ability to drop files across devices, and ability to attach Edge sidebar to desktop. |
| Edge 115 | 21-Jul-23 | Microsoft Edge management service, rounded tabs, mouse gestures, split screen view. |
| Edge 113 | 5-May-23 | Basic Enhanced Security Mode was removed, shifted to EdgeUpdater on macOS, and introduced new policies, addresses 2 security vulnerabilities. |
| Edge 112 | 6-Apr-23 | Introduced Browser Essentials in place of the Performance Hub, improvements to enhanced security mode and some policies. |
| Edge 111 | 13-Mar-23 | Bing copilot in the toolbar, auto-hiding sidebar, hover over the sidebar to expand, and policy to clear IE mode history on browser exit. |
| Edge 110 | 9-Feb-23 | Introduces Immersive Reader policies, Azure Active Directory synchronization, Drop feature to share files, and several security updates. |
| Edge 109 | 13-Jan-23 | 14 security updates, 8 new policies, and 2 deprecated policies. |
| Edge 108 | 5-Dec-22 | Important security fixes, a new policy to disable Web Select amongst others. |
| Edge 107 | 27-Oct-22 | Improved sidebar, new policies, and security fixes. |
| Edge 106 | 3-Oct-22 | Improved web defense and increased the maximum number of search results to 4 |
| Edge 105 | 2-Sep-22 | Improvements to IE mode and enhanced security |
| Edge 104 | 5-Aug-22 | Support to import data and enhanced security on the web |
| Edge 103 | 23-Jun-22 | Improvements for online and web gaming |
| Edge 102 | 31-May-22 | With reverse image search and security improvements |
| Edge 100 | 1-Apr-22 | Sends 3-digit user agent string, PDF updates, and hardware-enforces stack protection |
| Edge 99 | 3-Mar-22 | Custom primary password and PDF navigation |
| Edge 98 | 4-Feb-22 | Edge Bar, reduced resource consumption |
| Edge 97 | 6-Jan-22 | Auto-citation, endpoint data loss prevention (DLP) |
| Edge 96 | 10-Dec-21 | Super duper secure mode, typosquatting |
| Edge 90 | 15-Apr-21 | SSO, PDF printing |
| Edge 89 | 4-Mar-21 | Vertical Tabs, Sleeping Tabs, Startup Boost |
| Edge 88 | 21-Jan-21 | Password generator, transparent privacy controls |
