Unless you are someone with significant security experience (which most HNers don't have), do not roll the dice with out-in-the-wild exploits, especially given how most people rely on their smartphones to a significant degree.

My iPads on 18.7.3 just yesterday started pushing notifications to upgrade to 26.2 again.

Guess Apple wants to pump up those numbers. If they really cared, if they had an ethical bone in their body, they would release 18.7.3 to the public WHICH THEY ALREADY HAVE STAGED.

This is more like blackmail where they are dangling these security issues over everyone's head as some scare tactic to upgrade, instead of giving everyone access to the iOS 18 security patch which already exists.

More iPhone sales! Some VP up there is popping champagne after getting the genius idea to disguise it as a security feature and force it down people's throats.

Most users lack the domain experience needed to protect and maintain hygiene against threat actors.