Forum Discussion
Edge Policy REQ: Allow Extensions from other stores
I've reviewed the thread you link and I got three issues with the workflow described in it.
1. There is no way to prevent users from enabling the "Allow extensions from other stores" switch. The only way to actually prevent the installation itself is to blacklist the extension GUID "*". Currently there is no way for us to limit users to just the Microsoft store.
2. As part of the case I opened I was asked to test the "ExtensionInstallSources" policy (https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/deployedge/microsoft-edge-policies#extensioninstallsources) but it appears that this is completely unrelated to the "Allow extensions from other stores" switch too.
Setting the following two policies will still prompt you to enable the installation from other stores even when you are on the Chrome store's website:
- HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Edge\ExtensionInstallSources\1 = https://nam06.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fmicrosoftedge.microsoft.com%2Faddons%2F*&data=02%7C01%7CAndre.Oliveira%40microsoft.com%7Cc96b09842d974dfdb4e708d7c69ced71%7C72f988bf86f141af91ab2d7cd011db47%7C1%7C0%7C637196249621702170&sdata=Z5PbZQvd8ZDJwO%2BwIaHXrSNVjDJaICTTWDLNht%2FAuKQ%3D&reserved=0
- HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Edge\ExtensionInstallSources\2 = https://nam06.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchrome.google.com%2Fwebstore%2F*&data=02%7C01%7CAndre.Oliveira%40microsoft.com%7Cc96b09842d974dfdb4e708d7c69ced71%7C72f988bf86f141af91ab2d7cd011db47%7C1%7C0%7C637196249621702170&sdata=dgGZ9XJjLWDRsEv%2B7ooqaAAOzzihDLPgz9A3lP6x9b4%3D&reserved=0
I'd kind of expect the switch to be toggled if there already is a policy in place to allow another store. Maybe that's just me.
Likewise I'd expect to user to be unable to install extensions from _any other_ store if I already provide a whitelisted set of stores. The user should not be allowed to install from any other sources than the whitelisted ones.
3. Having the user manually enable the installation from other stores might seem like a security measure but in reality there are just two things that will happen. Group 1 clicks "OK" on everything without thinking anyway, regardless of consequences. And group 2 will call the IT hotline and ask what it all means and whether they can safely click the button. Being able to take away this decision from our users would save everyone some time, especially if we had the ability to both either disable or enable it permanently with a GPO. Bundle that with the ability to explicitly whitelist sources through the "ExtensionInstallSources" and in turn automatically blacklisting all other sources we'd have everything we need.
narutards Thanks for the detailed explanation of the requirements. We are exploring various options with respect to this.
I just want to clarify that as of now ExtensionInstallSources policy cannot be used to block extensions from the Chrome Web Store.
- tylderlurdenMay 17, 2020Brass Contributor
- Daniel PerssonJun 17, 2020Brass Contributor
Having issues with this as well.
My goal is to silently install an extension from Chrome Web Store.
I have added to the Extension ID to the ExtensionInstallAllowlist.
Configured ExtensionInstallAllowlist to *
And added the Extension ID to ExtensionInstallForcelist.
But the extension isn't installed automatically.
If I do the same with an extension that is published in the Microsoft Edge Store, then its silently installed.
In addition I tried to manually configure ExtensionInstallSources via registry with https://nam06.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fmicrosoftedge.microsoft.com%2Faddons%2F*&data=02%7C01%7CAndre.Oliveira%40microsoft.com%7Cc96b09842d974dfdb4e708d7c69ced71%7C72f988bf86f141af91ab2d7cd011db47%7C1%7C0%7C637196249621702170&sdata=Z5PbZQvd8ZDJwO%2BwIaHXrSNVjDJaICTTWDLNht%2FAuKQ%3D&reserved=0 and https://nam06.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchrome.google.com%2Fwebstore%2F*&data=02%7C01%7CAndre.Oliveira%40microsoft.com%7Cc96b09842d974dfdb4e708d7c69ced71%7C72f988bf86f141af91ab2d7cd011db47%7C1%7C0%7C637196249621702170&sdata=dgGZ9XJjLWDRsEv%2B7ooqaAAOzzihDLPgz9A3lP6x9b4%3D&reserved=0 but it didn't help.
The user can manually install the extension after enabling Allow extensions from other store.
Is there more to it?
- ashishpoddarApr 04, 2021
Microsoft
Daniel Persson
For force installing an extension hosted in the Chrome web store use a string such in the the ExtensionInstallForcelist policy. Remember to use a separate line for each extension that you want to forceinstall. as:pckdojakecnhhplcgfflhndiffaohfah;https://clients2.google.com/service/update2/crx.