[Bug]: The default Windows 11 Security Baseline blocks startup of drivers

[Jobvdb]

Description

We are using Selenium (Java / v4.38.0) in our automation tool and we are receiving multiple reports from people that they cannot start edge (and we have the same with chrome) with the following stack trace.

org.openqa.selenium.WebDriverException: unknown error: net::ERR_NAME_NOT_RESOLVED
  (Session info: MicrosoftEdge=140.0.3485.94)
Build info: version: '4.35.0', revision: '1c58e5028b'
System info: os.name: 'Windows 11', os.arch: 'amd64', os.version: '10.0', java.version: '21.0.2'
Driver info: org.openqa.selenium.edge.EdgeDriver
Command: [5dde5733fb12ce3451b870742609d8bd, get {url=[WEBSITE_URL_HERE]}]
Capabilities {acceptInsecureCerts: true, browserName: MicrosoftEdge, browserVersion: 140.0.3485.94, fedcm:accounts: true, ms:edgeOptions: {debuggerAddress: localhost:64396}, msedge: {msedgedriverVersion: 140.0.3485.94 (9831641b47fb..., userDataDir: [obfuscated...]...}, networkConnectionEnabled: false, pageLoadStrategy: normal, platformName: windows, proxy: Proxy(direct), se:cdp: ws://localhost:64396/devtoo..., se:cdpVersion: 140.0.3485.94, setWindowRect: true, strictFileInteractability: false, timeouts: {implicit: 0, pageLoad: 300000, script: 30000}, unhandledPromptBehavior: dismiss and notify, webauthn:extension:credBlob: true, webauthn:extension:largeBlob: true, webauthn:extension:minPinLength: true, webauthn:extension:prf: true, webauthn:virtualAuthenticators: true}
Session ID: 5dde5733fb12ce3451b870742609d8bd

Upon further inspection, it seems (not sure though) a Windows 11 Security Baseline policy update. Is there anyone also having this issue, and is there a known work-around or option we can pass.

Reproducible Code

Proxy proxy = new org.openqa.selenium.Proxy();
proxy.setProxyType(ProxyType.DIRECT);
EdgeOptions edgeOptions = new EdgeOptions();
edgeOptions.setAcceptInsecureCerts(false);
edgeOptions.setProxy(proxy);
WebDriver driver = new EdgeDriver(edgeOptions);
driver.get(“any website”)

[selenium-ci]

@Jobvdb, thank you for creating this issue. We will troubleshoot it as soon as we can.

Selenium Triage Team: remember to follow the Triage Guide

[cgoldberg]

net::ERR_NAME_NOT_RESOLVED is a DNS error when navigating to a URL, but your code never even attempts that?

[Jobvdb]

Sorry, just updated the code!

[cgoldberg]

Does it happen for every site? Does it work without the proxy? Can you navigate with the same browser to the site with the same proxy without using Selenium? Have you tried using an Edge browser downloaded by Selenium Manager? (that one would unlikely be affected by a browser-specific security policy your organization applied).