In computing, firmware is software that provides low-level control of computing device hardware. For a relatively simple device, firmware may perform all control, monitoring and data manipulation functionality. For a more complex device, firmware may provide relatively low-level control as well as hardware abstraction services to higher-level software such as an operating system.

A patch is a set of changes to a computer program or its supporting data designed to update or repair it. This includes bugfixes or bug fixes to remove security vulnerabilities and correct bugs (errors). Patches are often written to improve the functionality, usability, or performance of a program. The majority of patches are provided by software vendors for operating system and application updates.