I think there wouldn't be the same sense of urgency. I don't think that's cynical at all; that's the way business works. I've never worked at a company that doesn't push something when enough customers make a fuss about it.

Because apparently this cache was well known already to researchers, and it was just the user-friendly interface that blew it up in the press.

What makes you think forensics researchers would report this to Apple as a bug? To them it's a feature.