hotfix

A hotfix is a software update that is released outside the normal update cycle or intended to be applied to a live system, often to fix a bug.

Originally, hotfix referred to patching a hot system a production server that is actively serving clients. For development, such a change usually must be designed quickly and outside normal development processes, at relatively high cost and at the expense of other development effort. For the user, a hotfix is relatively risky since it is applied to a server without time for testing it. The risk of applying the hotfix must be weighed against the risk of not applying it. The problem to be fixed might be so critical that inaction is riskier than the potential loss of service.