Critical crash bug "typeError: intl is not available"

[almogyehuda]

What is the expected behavior?

Have a fallback for Intl while is not available

What is the current behavior?

Unexpectedly, all the app crashed and "typeError: intl is not available" error is presented at console.
Only IE-11

What are the steps to reproduce?

I Don't know if we can repro this, but I'll give the background story as far as it can help.
While changing the localization -

App crashed on this line:
const hasV8BreakIterator = (typeof Intl !== 'undefined' && (Intl as any).v8BreakIterator);
from this file:
https://github.com/angular/material2/blob/master/src/cdk/platform/platform.ts

with this error: "typeError: intl is not available".
This crash won't let the app start, and there is no fallback.
We manage to fix it while editing the vendor.**.js file, and adding try-catch
block for this line.

Which versions of Angular, Material, OS, TypeScript, browsers are affected?

Angular: 7.2.1
CDK: 7.2.1
TypeScript: 3.2.2
Browsers: IE 11

Is there anything else we should know?

Critical bug, should provide hotfix.

[HawkSoftDevTeam]

We have been experiencing this as well, same fix - editing the vendor.js and inserting a try/catch.

Angular: 5.2.9
CDK: 5.2.5
TypeScript: 2.7.2
Browsers: IE 11

[almogohayon1]

@HawkSoftDevTeam Do you know the root cause?

[HawkSoftDevTeam]

@almogyehuda Not all instances of IE11 display this problem. It has gotten worse in the last month or two however. We are currently trying to find a commonality between instances of the problem. We've observed the issue on a subset of Windows 2012, Windows 8.1 boxes.

Currently suspecting this KB, and testing:
https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/4483187/cumulative-security-update-for-internet-explorer-december-19-2018

[HawkSoftDevTeam]

Can confirm installing a language pack induces the error state on a previously working machine. Reinstalling the KB does not fix the error.

[almogohayon1]

We see that issue started on our end after the following updates were installed, testing.
https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/4489881/windows-8-1-update-kb4489881

[almogohayon1]

We can now confirm that the issue (Angular App not being rendered) after kb4489881 installed on win8.1/winserver2012 + IE11.
https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/4489881/windows-8-1-update-kb4489881
@almogyehuda @HawkSoftDevTeam @thealmogg @crisbeto

[crisbeto]

I've submitted a fix at #15693, but it would be nice to get it double-checked against the particular Windows version before it goes in.

[almogohayon1]

Thanks much @crisbeto! We are double checking now

[almogohayon1]

@crisbeto
We did double check install/uninstall and the update is the root cause for that problem