Cannot remove zoom from prohibited processes

[mbaddar]

I am trying to use Zoom for live proctoring and on SEB server exam configurations, I couldn't find it on the prohibited processes, and yet it was blocked by SEB client as per the below log:

I downloaded the configuration file and opened it on a text editor. It doesn't show any reference to zoom in the prohibited processes. And even when I added zoom to the Permitted processes, I could see the icon on SEB client but it wouldn't open and is still logged as below

New client instance started at 2022-05-17 13:03:00.707

2022-05-17 13:03:01.210 [01] - ERROR: [ApplicationFactory] Could not find application '' (zoom.exe)!

2022-05-17 13:03:39.328 [31] - WARNING: [KeyGenerator] The current configuration does not contain a salt value for the browser exam key!
2022-05-17 13:03:39.892 [14] - ERROR: [Browser Instance #1] Failed to retrieve Moodle session identifier! Response: NotFound Not Found
2022-05-17 13:03:40.210 [33] - WARNING: [ApplicationMonitor] Process 'Zoom.exe' (12772) belongs to blacklisted application 'Zoom.exe'!
2022-05-17 13:03:40.213 [33] - WARNING: [Process 'Zoom.exe' (12772)] Failed to send close message to main window!
2022-05-17 13:03:40.216 [33] - WARNING: [Process 'Zoom.exe' (12772)] Failed to send close message to main window!
2022-05-17 13:03:40.218 [33] - WARNING: [Process 'Zoom.exe' (12772)] Failed to send close message to main window!
2022-05-17 13:03:40.221 [33] - WARNING: [Process 'Zoom.exe' (12772)] Failed to send close message to main window!
2022-05-17 13:03:40.223 [33] - WARNING: [Process 'Zoom.exe' (12772)] Failed to send close message to main window!
2022-05-17 13:03:59.356 [23] - WARNING: [ApplicationMonitor] Process 'Zoom.exe' (17552) belongs to blacklisted application 'Zoom.exe'!
2022-05-17 13:03:59.359 [23] - WARNING: [Process 'Zoom.exe' (17552)] Failed to send close message to main window!
2022-05-17 13:03:59.361 [23] - WARNING: [Process 'Zoom.exe' (17552)] Failed to send close message to main window!
2022-05-17 13:03:59.364 [23] - WARNING: [Process 'Zoom.exe' (17552)] Failed to send close message to main window!
2022-05-17 13:03:59.367 [23] - WARNING: [Process 'Zoom.exe' (17552)] Failed to send close message to main window!
2022-05-17 13:03:59.370 [23] - WARNING: [Process 'Zoom.exe' (17552)] Failed to send close message to main window!
2022-05-17 13:04:14.246 [33] - WARNING: [ApplicationMonitor] Process 'Zoom.exe' (17496) belongs to blacklisted application 'Zoom.exe'!
2022-05-17 13:04:14.250 [33] - WARNING: [Process 'Zoom.exe' (17496)] Failed to send close message to main window!
2022-05-17 13:04:14.253 [33] - WARNING: [Process 'Zoom.exe' (17496)] Failed to send close message to main window!
2022-05-17 13:04:14.255 [33] - WARNING: [Process 'Zoom.exe' (17496)] Failed to send close message to main window!
2022-05-17 13:04:14.258 [33] - WARNING: [Process 'Zoom.exe' (17496)] Failed to send close message to main window!
2022-05-17 13:04:14.260 [33] - WARNING: [Process 'Zoom.exe' (17496)] Failed to send close message to main window!
SEBExamSettings(3).zip

[dbuechel]

Yes, Zoom is part of a default list of prohibited processes which are automatically added no matter whether they are part of a configuration or not. What you'll need to do in this case is adding Zoom as prohibited process but deactivating it (i.e. not prohibiting it) and furthermore add Zoom as a permitted application so that it appears in the SEB shell (if desired).

[mbaddar]

 Unfortunately nothing have changed when I did what you suggested 2022-05-18 11:49:26.880 [24] - WARNING: [Browser Instance #1] The current configuration does not contain a salt value for the browser exam key! 2022-05-18 11:49:27.441 [14] - ERROR: [Browser Instance #1] Failed to retrieve Moodle session identifier! Response: NotFound Not Found *2022-05-18 11:49:46.762 [31] - WARNING: [ApplicationMonitor] Process 'Zoom.exe' (14516) belongs to blacklisted application 'Zoom.exe'!2022-05-18 11:49:46.767 [31] - WARNING: [Process 'Zoom.exe' (14516)] Failed to send close message to main window!*

…

On Wed, May 18, 2022 at 11:06 AM Damian Büchel ***@***.***> wrote: Yes, Zoom is part of a default list of prohibited processes which are automatically added no matter whether they are part of a configuration or not. What you'll need to do in this case is adding Zoom as prohibited process but deactivating it (i.e. not prohibiting it) and furthermore add Zoom as a permitted application so that it appears in the SEB shell (if desired). — Reply to this email directly, view it on GitHub <#412 (comment)>, or unsubscribe <https://github.com/notifications/unsubscribe-auth/ABK4FCAX7TRRPDHUD2QTDQ3VKSXHPANCNFSM5WESY5BQ> . You are receiving this because you authored the thread.Message ID: <SafeExamBrowser/seb-win-refactoring/repo-discussions/412/comments/2774224 @github.com>

-- Mohamed Baddar Technical Director - Data Science +971 55 22 33 272 +966 599 78 2560

[dbuechel]

The client application component logs a list of all prohibited applications. Is Zoom still part of that list?

[mbaddar]

No. I am sharing the client log after I have added (and inactivated) zoom to the prohibited processes. And added it to the permitted processed as well. I have tried to downgrade the client to 3.2 (Guess that's the first release to support zoom proctoring). It worked for once (I could open zoom, but proctoring cannot start), then I've got the same issue again

…

On Wed, May 18, 2022 at 12:12 PM Damian Büchel ***@***.***> wrote: The client application component logs a list of all prohibited applications. Is Zoom still part of that list? — Reply to this email directly, view it on GitHub <#412 (reply in thread)>, or unsubscribe <https://github.com/notifications/unsubscribe-auth/ABK4FCD7XDMLDCWPXOUKXJ3VKS7ATANCNFSM5WESY5BQ> . You are receiving this because you authored the thread.Message ID: <SafeExamBrowser/seb-win-refactoring/repo-discussions/412/comments/2774692 @github.com>

-- Mohamed Baddar Technical Director - Data Science +971 55 22 33 272 +966 599 78 2560

[dbuechel]

There most likely still is an issue with your configuration. We have knowledge of Zoom working perfectly fine with SEB. Would you mind sharing the complete log files?

[mbaddar]

Here you go

2022-05-17_05h10m26s_Browser.log
2022-05-17_05h10m26s_Runtime.log
2022-05-17_05h10m26s_Client.log
SEBExamSettings(4).zip

[dbuechel]

As I suspected, Zoom.exe is still part of the blocked applications, see the client log at line 29:

2022-05-17 05:10:41.965 [01] - DEBUG: [ApplicationMonitor] Initialized blacklist with 59 applications: AA_v3.exe, AeroAdmin.exe, beamyourscreen-host.exe, CamPlay.exe, Camtasia.exe, CamtasiaStudio.exe, Camtasia_Studio.exe, CamRecorder.exe, CamtasiaUtl.exe, chromoting.exe, CiscoCollabHost.exe, CiscoWebExStart.exe, Discord.exe, Element.exe, g2mcomm.exe, g2mlauncher.exe, g2mstart.exe, GotoMeetingWinStore.exe, join.me.exe, join.me.sentinel.exe, Mikogo-host.exe, ptoneclk.exe, RemotePCDesktop.exe, RPCService.exe, RPCSuite.exe, Skype.exe, SkypeApp.exe, SkypeHost.exe, slack.exe, Teams.exe, TeamViewer.exe, Telegram.exe, vncserver.exe, vncviewer.exe, vncserverui.exe, webexmta.exe, Zoom.exe, Riot, seamonkey, Discord, Slack, Teams, CamRecorder, join.me, RPCSuite, RPCService, RemotePCDesktop, beamyourscreen-host, AeroAdmin, Mikogo-host, chromoting, vncserverui, vncviewer, vncserver, TeamViewer, GotoMeetingWinStore, g2mcomm.exe, SkypeHost, Skype

[mbaddar]

I am well aware about that. Despite deactivating it as instructed. I there anything I missed?

[mbaddar]

You're right. I exported the configuration XML and the prohibited zoom is still active. I open the seb client via a server connection and the exam config file is transferred from the server as far as I understand. So I will try to make it inactive, allow reconfig and test. However, from a test taker perspective this is not feasible.

[mbaddar]

Well, both SEB server and client config tool keep the prohibited process active when I publish/save, I tried to edit the xml file manually and modify the tag to inactive (see below), enabled reload config. However, SEB couldn't accept the new config (I got an error message that the configuration file not supported)

[dbuechel]

Okay, then maybe there is a bug in SEB-Server (@anhefti could you verify whether that might be the case?) or something else that we're missing. It is correct that the configuration tool keeps the entry in the file, exactly with the intent to signal SEB that this particular prohibited application is not active.

[mbaddar]

On another note, do you have a sandbox SEB server to try? This zoom issue might be specific to my instance as other people would have raised it if it's a bug.

[dbuechel]

We unfortunately do not have a sandbox instance of SEB Server. But my colleague @anhefti just verified that the prohibited process configuration is sent correctly when deactivating it in SEB Server:

<dict>
   <key>active</key>
   <false />
   <key>currentUser</key>
   <false />
   <key>description</key>
   <string />
   <key>executable</key>
   <string>Zoom.exe</string>
   <key>identifier</key>
   <string />
   <key>originalName</key>
   <string>Zoom</string>
   <key>os</key>
   <integer>1</integer>
   <key>strongKill</key>
   <false />
   <key>user</key>
   <string />
</dict>

Looking at your XML snippet, one key reads inactive, which is not correct; that should be active, so maybe that's the issue?