Can a website knows the programs that are running on my pc?

Question

My campus will have an exam on its website, and the website will automatically access my laptop camera to monitor my movements. The question is, can this website knows what programs that are running on my computer? I mean can a website have an access to know what other programs are running on my computer beside my browser etc?

Many thanks!

Solution

As far as I know, no. However other things can be detected, such as:

• OS + version
• screen resolution, color depth
• browser + version
• plugins installed
• location
• installed fonts
• detect browser window size
• record keys pressed
• detect if window has focus or not

If last ones are implemented into the website, it could detect if you alt-tab. Or if you're opening the website inside a virtual machine.

Comments

[Robert]

Usually you have to install and run additional software for an exam and this software can then check e.g. running programs. A pure web site however can't do that.

[Ramhound]

Yes; It’s possible; It really depends on how the specific method the exam is procured.

[gronostaj]

"Or if you're opening the website inside a virtual machine" - how?

[Robert]

Using JavaScript you could additionally test each TCP port, and therefore identify open TCP port on the local PC. Some programs may be identifyable through a specific port.

[CrazyEyesDave]

Whoever looks at the data gathered can analyze all the clues and might be able to tell. For example the the graphics card name and driver can also be detected, and usually a virtual machine has a specific name for those. No one says it's forbidden to use a virtual machine though so... you could leave the browser focused in the virtual machine but keep something else opened outside it which would not be detected.

[Razvan Socol]

The following website detects your graphics card: deviceinfo.me In my virtual machine I get "VirtualBox Graphics Adapter".

[Grant Curell]

Via what API or functionality would a website be able to view a user's history? This answer seems a bit misleading, unless there's something big I'm missing, it's not like site A can automatically view the URL history for site B without being part of the same domain or having access to some other domain via cookies. Maybe there's something I'm missing but a website definitely doesn't have access to your download history outside of that website itself.

[harrymc]

@GrantCurell: I think you're missing the exploits found in all browsers. Today, I wouldn't say that definitely something is impossible - too many impossibles have happened the last few years.

[Grant Curell]

ok well by that logic MS08-067 was once a thing so I guess we should just assume everyone has root on everything 😂. Given that the OPs question was about a school knowing what is running on their computer I'm feeling pretty safe in my assumption that we're not talking about exploits.

[Grant Curell]

If the OP changes the question to "Would my school heap spray and ROP me?" I'll update my line of thinking