AI Overlay for Moodle + Safe Exam Browser on Mac
Since Moodle 3.9, the quizaccess_seb plugin is bundled with core Moodle, giving instructors a native checkbox to require Safe Exam Browser (SEB) for a quiz. SEB is an open-source kiosk built by ETH Zurich, free for institutions and free of webcam recording.
Moodle native SEB integration is configured per quiz via Safe Exam Browser access rules: Configure manually, Use an existing template, Upload my own config, or Use SEB client config. The instructor can also pin Browser Exam Keys so only correctly-configured SEB versions are accepted. None of this runs on the Mac itself; the Moodle server signs a config that SEB obeys.
Key points
- Moodle 3.9 and newer bundle quizaccess_seb in core; instructors only need to toggle Require the use of Safe Exam Browser.
- SEB on macOS is a notarized open-source app from ETH Zurich; it is not a kernel extension.
- SEB screenshot-on-interval proctoring feature uses AVFoundation, which obeys per-window privacy flags.
- Browser Exam Keys validate SEB version and config.
- Many universities pick Moodle+SEB specifically because it has no webcam recording.
How it works
┌── macOS host ─────────────────────────────────┐ │ ┌── Safari/Chrome ─────────────┐ │ │ │ ┌── proctoring extension ─┐ │ │ │ │ │ Browser screen-capture │ │ ← reads │ │ │ │ → exam recording │ │ visible │ │ │ └─────────────────────────┘ │ pixels │ │ └──────────────────────────────┘ │ │ │ │ ┌── LDBypass overlay ──────────┐ ← rendered │ │ │ ChatGPT / Claude / Ollama │ excluded │ │ └──────────────────────────────┘ from cap │ └───────────────────────────────────────────────┘
Compatibility on Mac
| macOS 14 Sonoma+ | Yes (required for window-privacy API) | ✓ |
| Apple Silicon (M1/M2/M3/M4) | Native arm64 build | ✓ |
| Intel Macs (2019+) | Universal binary supported | ✓ |
| Moodle 3.9+ with quizaccess_seb | Native SEB access rule in core | ✓ |
| Safe Exam Browser for macOS | User-mode app, honors window privacy | ✓ |
Common questions
Does SEB on Mac use kernel hooks to detect overlay windows?
No. SEB is a notarized user-space app.
What about SEB additional resources screen recording feature?
When the instructor enables periodic screenshots, SEB uses AVFoundation.
Will the Browser Exam Key change because I am running the overlay?
No. The Browser Exam Key is computed from SEB own binary, its config, and the URL.
Can the Moodle server itself detect the overlay through JavaScript?
No. Moodle page runs inside SEB Chromium view.
Is the overlay invisible if my instructor uses the SEB Server live proctor view?
Yes.