Microsoft has just released an Edge browser update on Windows 7, 8, 8.1, and Server 2012 R2 to patch security holes.
Microsoft stopped supporting Edge on Windows 7, 8, and 8.1 in January 2023, meaning Edge 109 is the last browser update available for these operating systems.
However, as revealed by Microsoft earlier this year, the company is willing to release intermittent security updates and critical patches. One such patch has just been released, giving Windows 7, 8, 8.1, and Server 2012 R2 users important bug fixes, according to Neowin.
Microsoft describes the update in its documentation:
Version 109.0.1518.140:
- This update was developed to provide lower-level extended support for Microsoft’s Windows M109. The company is porting 109 to Win 7, 8, and 8.1 (including Server 2012 R2 based on Win 8.1). Microsoft has a fix for CVE-2023-4863 for the Microsoft Edge Stable Channel (Version 109.0.1518.140).
- This fix has been reported by the Chrome team as having an exploited vulnerability.
It’s worth noting that Microsoft will soon stop releasing even those rare security updates. M109 low-level extended support for Windows 7, 8, 8.1, and Server 2012 R2 will end on October 20, 2023. After that, Firefox will become the only browser that actively supports older versions of Windows that Microsoft has stopped updating.
The Mozilla Foundation plans to continue releasing security updates for Firefox for another year, with the end of Firefox 115 Extended Support Release (ESR) expected in September 2024. According to Statcounter, older versions of Windows still make up about 4.45% of all PC users.