Apple has released Mac OS X 10.8.1, a maintenance update for Mountain Lion. The upgrade — a 24.2MB download — is available via the Software Update component of Mac OS X’s Systems Preferences app.

According to Apple, OS X 10.8.1 includes general operating system fixes that improve the stability and compatibility of your Mac, including fixes that: 

° Resolve an issue that may cause Migration Assistant to unexpectedly quit;

° Improve compatibility when connecting to a Microsoft Exchange server in Mail;

° Address an issue playing audio through a Thunderbolt display;

° Resolve an issue that could prevent iMessages from being sent;

° Address an issue that could cause the system to become unresponsive when using Pinyin input;

° Resolve an issue when connecting to SMB servers with long names;

° Address a issue that may prevent Safari from launching when using a Proxy Automatic Configuration (PAC) file;

° Improve 802.1X authentication with Active Directory credentials.