The provided information pertains to an OSINT (Open Source Intelligence) report regarding the Ponmocup malware, specifically linked to the IP address 109.74.195.149 as observed in VirusTotal. Ponmocup is a known malware family primarily associated with cryptocurrency mining activities, often leveraging infected machines to mine Monero or other cryptocurrencies without user consent. The reference to Passive DNS indicates that this IP address has been observed in DNS queries related to Ponmocup infrastructure, which can be used for tracking and attribution purposes. The data is dated from 2015, indicating this is an older threat, and no specific affected software versions or exploits are listed. The threat level is marked as low, and there are no known active exploits in the wild at the time of reporting. The lack of detailed technical indicators or CWE references limits the depth of technical analysis, but the presence of Ponmocup malware infrastructure suggests a risk of unauthorized resource usage and potential secondary impacts such as system performance degradation or exposure to further malware payloads.

For European organizations, the primary impact of Ponmocup malware would be unauthorized use of computing resources, leading to degraded system performance and increased operational costs due to higher power consumption. While Ponmocup is not typically associated with direct data theft or destruction, infected systems could serve as footholds for further compromise or lateral movement within networks. Given the low severity and absence of active exploits, the immediate risk is limited. However, organizations with inadequate endpoint protection or monitoring could inadvertently become part of a botnet mining cryptocurrency, which may also lead to reputational damage if discovered. Additionally, the presence of such malware could indicate broader security hygiene issues that might expose organizations to more severe threats.

European organizations should implement robust endpoint detection and response (EDR) solutions capable of identifying and removing cryptocurrency mining malware like Ponmocup. Network monitoring for unusual DNS queries and traffic to known malicious IP addresses, such as 109.74.195.149, can help detect infections early. Employing threat intelligence feeds that include Passive DNS data can enhance detection capabilities. Regularly updating antivirus and anti-malware signatures, combined with behavioral analysis tools, will improve identification of stealthy mining activities. Organizations should also enforce strict application whitelisting and restrict execution of unauthorized binaries. Conducting periodic security audits and user awareness training to recognize signs of infection can reduce the risk of compromise. Finally, isolating infected machines promptly and performing forensic analysis will prevent lateral movement and further damage.