The default search provider must be set to use an encrypted connection.

Overview

Finding ID	Version	Rule ID	IA Controls	Severity
V-235726	EDGE-00-000009	SV-235726r766840_rule		Medium

Description
Allows a list of list of up to 10 search engines to be configured, one of which must be marked as the default search engine. The encoding does not need to be specified. Starting in Microsoft Edge 80, the suggest_url and image_search_url parameters are optional. The optional parameter, image_search_post_params (consists of comma-separated name/value pairs), is available starting in Microsoft Edge 80. Starting in Microsoft Edge 83, search engine discovery can be enabled with the allow_search_engine_discovery optional parameter. This parameter must be the first item in the list. If allow_search_engine_discovery is not specified, search engine discovery will be disabled by default. Starting in Microsoft Edge 84, this policy can be set as a recommended policy to allow search provider discovery. The allow_search_engine_discovery optional parameter does not need to be added. If this policy is enabled, users cannot add, remove, or change any search engine in the list. Users can set their default search engine to any search engine in the list. If this policy is disabled or not configured, users can modify the search engines list as desired.

Description

Allows a list of list of up to 10 search engines to be configured, one of which must be marked as the default search engine. The encoding does not need to be specified. Starting in Microsoft Edge 80, the suggest_url and image_search_url parameters are optional. The optional parameter, image_search_post_params (consists of comma-separated name/value pairs), is available starting in Microsoft Edge 80. Starting in Microsoft Edge 83, search engine discovery can be enabled with the allow_search_engine_discovery optional parameter. This parameter must be the first item in the list. If allow_search_engine_discovery is not specified, search engine discovery will be disabled by default. Starting in Microsoft Edge 84, this policy can be set as a recommended policy to allow search provider discovery. The allow_search_engine_discovery optional parameter does not need to be added. If this policy is enabled, users cannot add, remove, or change any search engine in the list. Users can set their default search engine to any search engine in the list. If this policy is disabled or not configured, users can modify the search engines list as desired.

STIG	Date
Microsoft Edge Security Technical Implementation Guide	2021-11-19

Details

Check Text ( C-38945r766839_chk )
The policy value for "Computer Configuration/Administrative Templates/Microsoft Edge/Manage Search Engines" must be configured. Use the Windows Registry Editor to navigate to the following key: HKLM\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Edge Example REG_SZ value text for "ManagedSearchEngines": [{"allow_search_engine_discovery": false},{"is_default": true,"name": "Microsoft Bing","keyword": "bing","search_url": "https://www.bing.com/search?q={searchTerms}"},{"name": "Google","keyword": "google","search_url": "https://www.google.com/search?q={searchTerms}"}] If any of the search URLs in the list do not begin with "https", this is a finding.

Check Text ( C-38945r766839_chk )

The policy value for "Computer Configuration/Administrative Templates/Microsoft Edge/Manage Search Engines" must be configured.

Use the Windows Registry Editor to navigate to the following key:
HKLM\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Edge

Example REG_SZ value text for "ManagedSearchEngines":
[{"allow_search_engine_discovery": false},{"is_default": true,"name": "Microsoft Bing","keyword": "bing","search_url": "https://www.bing.com/search?q={searchTerms}"},{"name": "Google","keyword": "google","search_url": "https://www.google.com/search?q={searchTerms}"}]

If any of the search URLs in the list do not begin with "https", this is a finding.

Fix Text (F-38908r626375_fix)
Configure the policy value for "Computer Configuration/Administrative Templates/Microsoft Edge/Manage Search Engines".