Brief :An issue that could have allowed hackers to carry out DoS attacks on computers running Apple's OS is one of several patched today

Apple on Tuesday released a minor update to its Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger operating system. The computer maker said on its Web site that version 10.4.2 "delivers overall improved reliability and compatibility for Mac OS X v10.4 and is recommended for all users," as well as addressing a number of security problems.

The update fixes two security holes in 10.4.1. It fixes a problem with the Dashboard feature — which has caused problems before — and fixes an issue that could allow "a specifically crafted TCP/IP packet can cause a denial of service" that was discovered by security researchers at Northwestern University, according to Apple's advisory.

The new software, which is available through Mac OS X's built-in software update feature, offers a number of fixes, including improvements for managing Dashboard widgets, improved compatibility with some HP printers and enhancements to Airport wireless networking.

ZDNet UK's Alex Coby contributed to this report.

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