AI Overlay for Safe Exam Browser (SEB) on Mac
Safe Exam Browser (SEB) is the open-source lockdown app maintained by ETH Zurich and used across European, Australian, and New Zealand universities. Unlike browser-extension proctoring, SEB ships as a native macOS application that locks the host into kiosk mode for the entire exam session.
SEB is a monolithic Cocoa app built on WKWebView, not a browser extension. ETH Zurich first shipped the macOS port in 2010 and continues to fund it as part of the OLAT/OpenOlat ecosystem. The app is signed and notarized by the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology and runs entirely in user space. To enforce its sandbox it disables the Dock, Cmd-Tab, Force-Quit, Mission Control, Notification Center, screenshot hotkeys, screen recording, printing, and a long list of third-party comms apps.
SEB blocks app switching once it is running, so launch Fracture before SEB and toggle visibility with Ctrl-Cmd-L.
SEB does check for known prohibited apps such as remote-desktop tools by bundle identifier.
No. allowWindowCapture is a hint SEB sets on its own windows; it cannot inspect other apps window-privacy flags.
Yes at most universities. SEB academic-honesty policies are set by the institution.
Need reference access during your exam?
Fracture runs a native floating overlay that sets the macOS window privacy flag. It is 100% excluded from screen capture feeds, window lists, and proctor recordings.