Cybersecurity experts have issued urgent and serious warnings about an unprecedented security situation, as hundreds of millions of iPhone users worldwide remain vulnerable to hacking due to their failure to install a critical security update released by Apple nearly six weeks ago.

According to analysts, this widespread neglect not only puts personal data at risk, but also undermines a cornerstone of Apple’s market reputation: its superior security compared with other platforms.

The security update, identified as iOS 26.2, was released to address two critical vulnerabilities in the WebKit browser engine, which underpins Safari and many other applications. Apple described the initial attacks exploiting these flaws as “extremely sophisticated and targeted at specific individuals.” However, security analysts quickly warned that WebKit’s role as a core browsing framework makes any vulnerability within it highly attractive and rapidly accessible to broader hacking groups—turning a targeted threat into a widespread risk.

According to experts, two main factors have combined to create this unique security storm:

• Active vulnerabilities in the wild: The presence of publicly known and disclosed flaws without universal patching leaves every unupdated device as a clear and easily accessible target.

• A change in update policy: Apple decided to withhold iOS 18 updates from devices eligible to upgrade to iOS 26. While intended to push users toward the latest version, this decision also means those devices did not undergo the mandatory restart process, which often prompts users to install pending updates.

The released update includes more than 25 security fixes covering multiple layers of the operating system, including patches for kernel-level vulnerabilities that could grant attackers full system privileges. Security principles stress that publicly disclosing the details of these fixes actively encourages attackers to hunt for devices that have not yet applied them.

Experts are unanimously urging users not to wait for the upcoming iOS 26.3 update and to immediately install the current iOS 26.2 version. This action provides two immediate benefits: applying all available fixes and forcing a system reboot. While restarting a phone weekly remains a good practice, it can never replace the timely installation of security updates.

The conclusion is clear: immediate updating is no longer a luxury or a mere performance enhancement—it is a necessary preventive measure to protect the very core of what users are buying: privacy and security. Ignoring it now is a calculated risk with potentially costly consequences.