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"System software from the following developers was updated...", but no descriptions

Hi All!


I tried to install the CutOut Pro desktop app. When I tried to open it, I got the following popup alert: "Cutout Pro can't be opened because Apple cannot check it for malicious software."


When I looked in the Security portion of my settings, I saw "Some system software requires your attention before it can be used."


When I clicked on this and entered my password, I saw "System software from the following developers was updated and the system needs to be restarted before it can be used."


There are two items using the same unidentified icon. Neither has a text description as to what it is. Both have sliding buttons that are currently in the 'off' position.


Searching online, I can't find the last message above anywhere. This concerns me. If it's an official Apple alert, someone else should have posted about it. Ideas?


Thanks in advance!


MacBook Pro 14" 2021 M1, Ventura 13.0

MacBook Pro 14″, macOS 13.0

Posted on Dec 3, 2022 4:00 PM

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Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Posted on Dec 4, 2022 9:17 AM

Download and run Etrecheck.  Copy and paste the results into your reply. Etrecheck is a diagnostic tool that was developed by one of the most respected users here in the ASC and recommended by Apple Support  to provide a snapshot of the system and help identify the more obvious culprits that can adversely affect a Mac's performance.


Copy the report



and use the Additional Text button to paste the report in your reply.



Then we can evaluate the report to see if we can determine what software is giving you the message.



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8 replies
Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Dec 4, 2022 9:17 AM in response to Uninspired Alias

Download and run Etrecheck.  Copy and paste the results into your reply. Etrecheck is a diagnostic tool that was developed by one of the most respected users here in the ASC and recommended by Apple Support  to provide a snapshot of the system and help identify the more obvious culprits that can adversely affect a Mac's performance.


Copy the report



and use the Additional Text button to paste the report in your reply.



Then we can evaluate the report to see if we can determine what software is giving you the message.



Dec 4, 2022 8:07 PM in response to Old Toad

Thanks for the tip about EtreCheck. I ran it and saw this:



I've spent all day fighting whatever this thing is, and I appear to have finally won. It tried to keep me from turning on security features, from installing security updates, from restarting to complete the installs, etc, but I was able to find workarounds each time. I then combed through every file in the system and user libraries, and of course, applications, and deleted about a hundred questionable things. I'm now in the process of changing a couple hundred passwords. Fun fun fun! But thanks again for your tip.

Dec 5, 2022 9:41 AM in response to Uninspired Alias

If your Mac is a production Mac required for your work you might not want to have automatic updates turned on. That's because if there is an issue in compatibility with an update and your production software you could be tied up for a while reinstalling the old system.


If yo have a second drive, an external SSD that you've cloned your boot drive to with Carbon Copy Cloner you can update it when updates come along and to check and make sure all apps work as needed.


Just some food for thought.



Dec 5, 2022 9:56 AM in response to Uninspired Alias

Uninspired Alias wrote:

I've spent all day fighting whatever this thing is, and I appear to have finally won. It tried to keep me from turning on security features, from installing security updates, from restarting to complete the installs, etc, but I was able to find workarounds each time. I then combed through every file in the system and user libraries, and of course, applications, and deleted about a hundred questionable things. I'm now in the process of changing a couple hundred passwords. Fun fun fun! But thanks again for your tip.

Wait! Stop! That requisition to post an EtreCheck report was specifically to locate those mysterious Login Items which your EtreCheck report would have clearly showed, had you posted it.


Instead, you posted a screenshot from EtreCheck, which is a really, really bad idea because screenshots do not have personal information removed.


Now you are deleting hundreds of things and changing passwords all day? STOP!!!!


If you have questions, ask. That's all you need to do. 2 minutes, you have your answer.


I have no idea what you have done. I have no idea if you have actually re-enabled Apple security updates, which takes less than 2 minutes by the way. And you are still no closer to getting the answer you are looking for.


If someone asks you to post an EtreCheck report, please do that. You don't have to if you don't want to. That's fine. But please do not go on some mysterious question from something you think you might have seen in the report. There are people all around, Old Toad, Etresoft support, who will answer any question you have in minutes.

Dec 5, 2022 12:07 PM in response to etresoft

I appreciate your concern. I'm certainly not a cybersecurity expert, but I am a former IT Admin. (As such, I should have seen that security was disabled before posting. Egg on face!) Everything's working fine now.


To be honest, the majority of the problem was probably due to files that Sophos hid everywhere and didn't remove upon uninstall. Two of them were launch daemons in the system library. (Not the user library.) I have Avast now. The antivirus programs probably saw each other as malware.


I'm sure you're more knowledgeable about these things than I am, and I think it's wonderful that you help so many people, me included. But I'm ok for now. I'm just changing passwords to be extra safe, and because they really should be changed now and then.

"System software from the following developers was updated...", but no descriptions

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