Command and shortcut restrictions

This article describes the what is restricted to test takers when keyboard shortcuts are disabled for a session.

Disabling keyboard shortcuts is used to prevent actions which can move candidate outside of test, open browser/system UI, copy content, paste outside content, or use browser navigation shortcuts.

This plugin does not block normal typing. It blocks only configured events and shortcut combinations.

Important: Some OS-level or browser-reserved shortcuts will still be available, because the browser or OS handles them before JavaScript receives event. In this case disableCommands cannot prevent it.

When keyboard shortcuts are restricted

When configuring a session, there is an option to prevent keyboard shortcuts:

Session configuration on the Portal: This option is enabled by checking Prevent right-click menu in Security options. For more information, see Creating a session.
CSV import: This option is enabled by the following fields. For more information, see Importing sessions using a CSV file.
- session_securitySettings_preventRightClickAndKeyboardShortcuts: Add 1 to this field to disable keyboard shortcuts.
- session_securitySettings_disableCommandsConfig: Add 1 to the fields with this prefix to disable certain keyboard shortcuts. For shortcutWhitelist_shortcut and shortcutWhitelist_platform, add which platform specific short cuts should be disabled, and which platform they apply to. Add text to both of these fields, with a line | separating each shortcut/platform (no spaces).
LTI launch: This option is enabled by the following plugins. For more information, see Custom Parameters (delivery launch).
- taoQtiNuiTest/runner/plugins/security/disableRightClick/plugin
- taoQtiNuiTest/runner/plugins/security/disableCommands/plugin

Events prevented by the plugin

Event	Default behavior
Copy	Allowed only from valid editable/allowed target. Otherwise prevented.
Cut	Allowed only from valid editable/allowed target. Otherwise prevented.
Paste	Allowed only when pasted text is same as last valid copied text. Otherwise prevented.
Dragstart	Used to remember if drag started from valid target.
Drop	Allowed only if drag started from valid target. Otherwise prevented.
Keyboard shortcut	Prevented when shortcut is listed for current platform/browser.

Keyboard shortcuts remain available when the cursor is in:

Text response fields (including essay or extended text responses)
Text input fields (such as short answer or fill-in-the-blank questions)
Editable text areas, such as rich text editors
Any field that explicitly allows copy and paste
Buttons, menus, or other controls within the areas listed above

Copy, cut and paste logic

By default, copying or cutting content from the test page is blocked. However, you can still copy or cut text from supported editable fields, such as text response areas, short answer fields, rich text editors, and other permitted input fields.

You can only paste text that was copied from one of these supported fields during the current test session. Pasting content copied from outside the test, or from areas where copying is not allowed, is blocked.

When entering mathematical expressions, the math editor also accepts pasted content in $$...$$ format if the original copied content came from a supported editable field.

If copy/cut/paste is prevented, the plugin triggers any prohibited-action and sends a message to the security log:

Action	Security log reason
blocked copy	copy-attempt
blocked cut	cut-attempt
blocked paste	paste-attempt

Drag and drop logic

Drop is accepted only when drag started from valid target. If not, the plugin triggers the prohibited-action when the user tries to drop.

Configuration

This section describes the default values for different shortcuts in Ignite. These options can be adjusted which using CSV import or LTI launch to configure a a session - these specifications cannot be made from session creation on the Portal.

Option	Meaning	Default Value
canCopy	Copy and cut are allowed.	true
canCopy	Copy and cut are always prevented.	false
canPaste	Paste is allowed.	true
canPaste	Paste is always prevented.	false
canDragAndDrop	Drag and drop is allowed.	true
canDragAndDrop	Drop is prevented.	false
shortcutWhitelist	Selected shortcuts are not prevented.

Whitelist example:

{
  "shortcutWhitelist": [
    {
      "shortcut": "Meta+F",
      "platform": "mac",
      "browser": "chrome"
    }
  ]
}

If platform is not set, whitelist works for all platforms. If browser is not set, whitelist works for all browsers on matching platform.

Shortcuts allowed inside inputs

These shortcuts are not blocked on keydown when target is valid editable/allowed place:

backspace, Meta+C, Meta+V, Meta+Alt+V, Meta+Shift+Alt+V, Meta+X, Ctrl+c, Ctrl+v, Ctrl+x

When any non-special-character-input shortcut is pressed then it is prevented with no effect, such as losing window focus or menu popping up.

Important: Even when keydown is not blocked, later clipboard event can still be blocked by copy/paste rules.

Prevented shortcuts

macOS - common for Safari, Chrome and Firefox

Shortcut	Prevented behavior
Meta+C	Copy to clipboard
Meta+V	Paste from clipboard
Meta+Alt+V	Paste style
Meta+Shift+Alt+V	Paste and match style
Meta+X	Cut to clipboard
Meta+:	Show / hide spelling and grammar
Meta+Alt+W	Close application
Meta+Shift+W	Close current window
Meta+M	Minimize window

Safari has only shortcuts from this common macOS list.

macOS - common for Chrome and Firefox

Shortcut	Prevented behavior
Meta+[, Meta+]	Browser back / forward navigation
Meta+1 ... Meta+8	Switch to tab by number
Meta+9	Switch to last tab
Meta+D	Add bookmark
Meta+F	Find in page
Meta+G	Find next
Meta+L	Select address/location bar
Meta+O	Open file
Meta+P	Print page
Meta+R	Reload page
Meta+S	Save page
Meta+W	Close tab or popup
Meta+Shift+G	Find previous
Meta+Shift+T	Reopen/undo closed tab
Meta+Shift+H	Open home/history depending browser
Alt+F4	Close window
Ctrl+pagedown	Switch to next tab
Ctrl+pageup	Switch to previous tab
Alt+home	Open home page

macOS - Chrome only

Shortcut	Prevented behavior
Ctrl+enter	Show contextual menu
Meta+Alt+M	Minimize all
backspace	Go to previous page
Meta+Shift+?	Browser help
Meta+Ctrl+F	Enter or exit fullscreen
Meta+Y	Open history page
Meta+Shift+J	Open downloads page
Meta+Alt+U	Open page source
Meta+Shift+B	Toggle bookmarks bar
Meta+Alt+C	Inspect element mode
Meta+Shift+D	Bookmark all open pages
Meta+Alt+I	Open developer tools
Meta+Alt+J	Open developer console
Meta+Shift+M	Switch browser user
Meta+Shift+N	Open incognito window
Meta+Alt+B	Open bookmark manager
Meta+H	Hide Chrome
Meta+Alt+H	Hide other windows
Meta+Shift+I	Email current page
Meta+Shift+P	Open page setup
Meta+,	Open settings
Meta+E	Use selection for find
Meta+Shift+Delete	Open clear browsing data
Meta+Alt+Right	Switch to next tab
Meta+Alt+Left	Switch to previous tab

macOS - Firefox only

Shortcut	Prevented behavior
F5	Reload page
Meta+B	Toggle bookmarks sidebar
Meta+J	Open download history
Meta+K	Select search bar
Meta+U	Open page source
Meta+Shift+R	Force reload page
Alt+enter	Save link target as
Meta+Left	Back one page
Meta+Right	Forward one page
Meta+enter	Open link in background tab
Meta+F4	Close tab or popup
Meta+F5	Force reload page
Shift+F3	Find previous
Shift+enter	Open link in new window

Windows - common for Chrome and Firefox

Shortcut	Prevented behavior
Ctrl+c	Copy to clipboard
Ctrl+v	Paste from clipboard
Ctrl+x	Cut to clipboard
Ctrl+esc	Open Windows menu
Ctrl+F4	Close tab or popup
Shift+F6	Move focus to browser pane
Alt+esc, Alt+tab	Switch applications
Alt+space	Open active window menu
Alt+F4	Close window
PrintScreen	Take screenshot of whole screen
Alt+PrintScreen	Take screenshot of active window
Meta+D	Minimize all
backspace	Back one page
F1	Browser help
F3	Find next / find again
F5	Reload page
F11	Enter or exit fullscreen
Ctrl+1 ... Ctrl+8	Switch to tab by number
Ctrl+9	Switch to last tab
Ctrl+d	Add bookmark
Ctrl+f	Find in page
Ctrl+g	Find next / find again
Ctrl+h	Open history
Ctrl+j	Open downloads
Ctrl+k	Select search/address bar
Ctrl+l, Alt+d	Select address/location bar
Ctrl+n	Open new window
Ctrl+o	Open file
Ctrl+p	Print page
Ctrl+r	Reload page
Ctrl+s	Save page
Ctrl+t	Open new tab
Ctrl+u	Open page source
Ctrl+w	Close tab/window
Ctrl+Shift+G	Find previous
Ctrl+Shift+T	Reopen/undo closed tab
Ctrl+Shift+W	Close window
Ctrl+Shift+Delete	Clear browsing data/private data
Ctrl+tab, Ctrl+pagedown	Switch to next tab
Ctrl+pageup	Switch to previous tab
Ctrl+F5	Reload ignoring cache / force reload
Shift+backspace	Forward one page
Shift+F3	Find previous
Alt+left	Back one page
Alt+right	Forward one page
Alt+home	Open home page

Windows - Chrome only

Shortcut	Prevented behavior
F6	Move focus to browser pane
F10	Open Chrome menu
F12	Open developer tools
Ctrl+e	Focus address/search bar
Ctrl+q	Quit Chrome
Ctrl+Shift+B	Toggle bookmarks bar
Ctrl+Shift+C	Inspect element mode
Ctrl+Shift+D	Bookmark all open pages
Ctrl+Shift+I	Open developer tools
Ctrl+Shift+J	Open developer console
Ctrl+Shift+M	Switch browser user
Ctrl+Shift+N	Open incognito window
Ctrl+Shift+O	Open bookmark manager
Ctrl+Shift+Q	Quit Chrome
Alt+e, Alt+f	Open Chrome menu
Ctrl+shift+tab	Switch to previous tab
Shift+esc	Open Chrome task manager
Shift+F5	Reload ignoring cache

Windows - Firefox only

Shortcut	Prevented behavior
Ctrl+b, Ctrl+i	Toggle bookmarks sidebar
Ctrl+Shift+R	Force reload page
Alt+enter	Save link target as
Ctrl+[	Back one page
Ctrl+]	Forward one page
Ctrl+enter	Open link in background tab
Shift+enter	Open link in new window
Shift+MouseScrollDown	Back one page
Shift+MouseScrollUp	Forward one page

Screenshots note

On Windows, PrintScreen and Alt+PrintScreen are part of disableCommands. On macOS, screenshot shortcuts like Meta+Shift+3, Meta+Shift+4, Meta+Shift+5 are not part of disableCommands. They are handled by preventScreenshot.