iMac hacked?

I'm not a big fan of "cleaner" programs, and I've seen other people say that some of them do more harm than good.

Just on a lark, I pasted "systeeminstellingen" into Google Translate. It auto-detected Dutch and translated the word as "system settings." My understanding is that in Ventura, Apple renamed the built-in application which you use to set system preferences from "System Preferences" to "System Settings."

If this is the real System Settings application – just with a localized Dutch name – that would explain why right-clicking it gave you no option to move it to the Trash. System Settings is a legitimate part of macOS, and you cannot delete it – at least not easily, from a Finder running off the same startup disk.

High Sierra won't let me move its System Preferences to the Trash that way, but it will let me Show Package Contents. I closed that window right away without changing anything inside … but there was lots of localization stuff inside, even if not exactly the same stuff as in Ventura.

I could be wrong, but I don't think your Mac is infected. You're probably just noticing the System Settings app in the Applications folder for the first time. Many people launch it from the Dock or the Apple () menu and would not bother to look for it in the Applications folder (where it lives).

ritanila wrote:

I got a message that My MacAfee detected something

I clicked it away I thought, I don't have MacAfee, I've got Norton security.

I did run Norton, It says there's no problem.

I got messages It says my system has a hardware failure.

The icon was the same as system settings.

It says I've got to pay for MacAfee.

I didn't trust it but didn't know what to do.

It's a scam.

Recognize and avoid phishing messages, phony support calls, and other scams - Apple Support

https://consumer.ftc.gov/consumer-alerts/2020/09/how-can-you-spot-tech-support-scam

I looked in the apps and there's a app calling systeeminstellingen.

I don't think that's right.

I tried to remove it, but richt click doesn't work, I cannot delete it.

In the picture there's a picture of the contents of the map which called itself systeeminstellingen.

I'm not sure what that is. It looks as if you did a Show Package Contents on some application that has a lot of localization options stored inside for different parts of the world. I don't know if the application is good or bad.

What can I do?

Did you enter any personal or financial information or passwords on the suspicious Web site? If so, you need to take action to protect yourself (e.g. by contacting your bank, changing compromised passwords, etc.).

If you know for a fact that an application got downloaded from that Web site to your Mac, don't run that application.

I would also suggest downloading the free version of Malwarebytes and running it manually. The program, and site, may try to encourage you to buy Malwarebytes Premium. But you don't need that. Run the free version. I can't guarantee that it will detect and remove all possible malware, but if there is something bad on your Mac, it might help you find and/or remove it.

https://www.malwarebytes.com/

ritanila wrote:

I got messages It says my system has a hardware failure.

The icon was the same as system settings.

It says I've got to pay for MacAfee.

The icon was the same as System Settings – but the message wasn't from System Settings, or from Apple. I've read about this in other threads. Recent versions of Safari support Web site notifications where the operator of the Web site can choose a custom icon.

Honest Web site operators can use this to make their notifications more recognizable – so you don't just get a generic Safari icon. Dishonest Web site operators will copy Apple's icons (like the System Settings one) – the better to fool prospective victims into thinking the messages are from Apple or from their Mac.

You can block Web site notifications.

Customize website notifications in Safari on Mac - Apple Support

Yep, typical scam to scare you into spending money needlessly and/or giving access to your system to unknown actors.