Tuesday, March 5, 2013

Hacking Respondus LockDown Browser 2.0

It has been about a year since I've visited this topic, and I've decided that it is indeed worth revisiting. But first, a few reasons that I'm doing this so nobody gets the wrong idea:
  • To prove Respondus LockDown Browser does not circumvent cheating
  • To encourage anyone left using this technology to change their assessment methodology to other means, such as projects because:
    • They are more effective
    • It is just as easy to determine if a student cheated
    • They test ability to apply instead of memorization (life is open book, what you need to know is how to apply what you know!)
  • To boost blog viewership (I write to be read, and Respondus is one of my most read posts)

The Technique

I have devised a better way of "hacking" Respondus that does not involve the use of monitoring system calls, although that would be equally viable and was what I had originally intended to do.
This version works better, is cleaner, and anyone can edit it when it stops working. Essentially, it just modifies Respondus' window and opens other programs with button presses.

How To Run

  1. Download the code, and save it to a file on your desktop called Respondus.ahk
  2. Download and install Auto Hot Key
  3. Close all other windows on your desktop.
  4. Right click the Respondus.ahk file and choose "Run As Administrator"
Code tested on Windows 8/XP. You might need to change the first line in 64 bit versions of Windows 7/Vista to reflect another path to LockDown.exe.

Code

Run, C:\Program Files\Respondus LockDown Browser\LockDown.exe

WinWait, Respondus LockDown Browser
WinSet, AlwaysOnTop, Off, Respondus LockDown Browser
WinSet, Enable, , Respondus LockDown Browser


Gui, Add, Button, default, &Show IE
Gui, Add, Button, default, &Hide Respondus
Gui, Add, Button, default, &Show Respondus
Gui, Add, Button, default, &Maximize All
Gui, Show,, Subversion Menu

WinSet, AlwaysOnTop, On, Subversion Menu
return

ButtonShowIE:
Run, IEXPLORE.EXE http://onehourhacks.blogspot.com
WinWait, One Hour Hacks - Windows Internet Explorer
WinMove, One Hour Hacks - Windows Internet Explorer, , (A_ScreenWidth/2), 0, (A_ScreenWidth/2), (A_ScreenHeight),,
return

ButtonHideRespondus:
WinHide, Respondus LockDown Browser
return

ButtonMaximizeAll:
WinGet, WindowList, List
Loop, %WindowList%
{
WinMaximize, % "ahk_id " . WindowList%A_Index%
}

WinHide, Respondus LockDown Browser
return

ButtonShowRespondus:
WinShow, Respondus LockDown Browser
return

ButtonLeftSideRespondus:
WinMove, Respondus LockDown Browser, , 0, 0, (A_ScreenWidth/2), (A_ScreenHeight),,
return

ButtonFullScreenRespondus:
WinMove, Respondus LockDown Browser, , 0, 0, (A_ScreenWidth), (A_ScreenHeight),,
return

GuiClose:
ExitApp

10 comments:

  1. If you're using Canvas LMS with Lockdown (or any other LMS that lets you send files as messages or download your own files), it is really simple to open a window for any website you want.

    Step 1. Save the following text in a file "whatever.html":
    <script>
    window.open("http://google.com");
    </script>

    Step 2. Send it to yourself in a message

    Step 3. Open the message in LockDown browser, boom, you have a second window loaded with google.com

    ReplyDelete
  2. If you're using Canvas LMS with Lockdown (or any other LMS that lets you send files as messages or download your own files), it is really simple to open a window for any website you want.

    Step 1. Save the following text in a file "whatever.html":
    <script>
    window.open("http://google.com");
    </script>

    Step 2. Send it to yourself in a message

    Step 3. Open the message in LockDown browser, boom, you have a second window loaded with google.com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'm using a newer version of respondous, how do i toggle between screens and what button do i press to open other programs?

      Delete
  3. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Can you help me I need this on my laptop

    ReplyDelete
  5. The code runs great, and the gui buttons are displayed on launch. I am then forced to choose a server to connect to. once I have made my selection, the gui buttons disappear. Is there a way to make the gui buttons display on the screen that is covered up with a blank blue screen?

    ReplyDelete
  6. @Drew Kaplan hey can you help me out ?

    ReplyDelete
  7. The code works at first, but then Respondus crashes saying that I can't have auto hot key running in the background.

    ReplyDelete
  8. If you do this is it detectable. Will the system alert admin as to who it was.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. the lockdown browser has attempted to close hotkey before it starts so the code didn't actually work for my case.

      Delete