Terminal icon appeared on my desktop - did Apple invoke it? Is there a thrid party app place it on my computer from my system library?

1: No, Apple didn’t add (a link to) Terminal app to your desktop.

2: You’re much closer to what all is installed here than are we all. We don’t know what is present on your Mac. I’ve also unintentionally added links for apps myself, with cut-and-paste errors.

3: Terminal app in its customary home in Applications > Utilities is no more and no less vulnerable than an added Terminal app link located somewhere else.

You can remove the link, or the copy of the app.

As it is protected against deletion by macOS 13, you can’t harm Terminal app itself.

DaveKone wrote:

Does third party app use Terminal app? The apple Terminal app showed up as an Icon on my MacBook Pro - wondering how this was opened? By Apple OS or third party app?

sounds like third party.

Is there an associated issue...(?)

DaveKone wrote:

Just don’t know if I am exposed to any vulnerabilities with Terminal app on my desktop open? I removed it from my dock but not sure it is available for a third party app to exploit

No. I would not be concerned.