Simulate and send keyboard events inside the Mac OS X Sandbox

So I was wondering - is there a way to do this inside the sandbox?

No.

Normally I’d recommend that you file an enhancement request for the features you want, although in this case you have to be a little careful. There’s no point filing an enhancement request for access to

CGEventPost

Please post your bug number, just for the record.

Share and Enjoy
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Quinn "The Eskimo!"
Apple Developer Relations, Developer Technical Support, Core OS/Hardware

let myEmail = "eskimo" + "1" + "@apple.com"

DTS will close for the winter holidays at the end of business on Wed, 23 Dec 2015 and re-open on Mon, 4 Jan 2016.

filed an enhancement request:

rdar://24278614

thank you.

Infact, you can call AppleScript in sandbox. tell key code/key down/key up/keystroke to "System Events" to simulate normal keys, and tell iTunes some other commands to simulate F7 to F9.

But bug exist at tell "System Events": key up cannot lift key which user is pressing. Thus, modifier may cannot be what you want, if making key-remapping tool.

No there is. AppleScript can achive this.

AppleScript can achive this.

Right. But the App Sandbox does not let you execute arbitrary AppleScripts. You can execute AppleScripts via the

NSUserScriptTask

Share and Enjoy
—
Quinn “The Eskimo!”
Apple Developer Relations, Developer Technical Support, Core OS/Hardware

let myEmail = "eskimo" + "1" + "@apple.com"

Hi Matt,

Did you get a response to your enhancement request? I don't have access to it.
I have a similar requirement, only I need to post key events for arrow keys instead of media keys.

Thanks,

Jeremy

Hi

I know its an old thread, but I'm trying to find an answer and this seems like a good place.

There is an app on Mac App Store, a new app, that simulates user input, and it seems it's doing it while being sandboxed. Is there some new APIs that were introduced, or something changers re sandboxing rules that's it allowed now?

https://apps.apple.com/us/app/remmo-remote-mouse-keyboard/id1598906173

I'm have a similar app and I have to distribute it like Matt outside of the store, and I wonder if there was a change that can allow me in.

Best regards

[did] something changers re sandboxing rules that's it allowed now?

I recently researched a very similar situation as part of a DTS incident, so I have concrete info to share on that front. I think it’s safe to extrapolate this to your issue, but lemme explain and you can make your own call.

In my case the developer was trying to get the Input Monitoring privilege. My immediate thought was that this is not available to sandboxed apps but, on researching it in detail, I discovered that’s not the case.

In recently releases [1] we’ve added user data protection (aka TCC) checks to various facilities, including Input Monitoring. As part of that we made it possible for a sandboxed app to gain such privileges. Starting with 10.15 a sandboxed app can use APIs like CGEventTap to monitor input events as long as the user approves that in Security > Security & Privacy > Privacy > Input Monitoring.

I think the same logic applies to event generation but I haven’t actually researched that privilege in detail. If you want me to do that, open a DTS tech support incident. Alternatively, you could just suck it and see.

Share and Enjoy
—
Quinn “The Eskimo!” @ Developer Technical Support @ Apple
let myEmail = "eskimo" + "1" + "@" + "apple.com"

[1] Starting with 10.14 but, in this specific case, the Input Monitoring privilege was added in 10.15.