Blacklists Compared

8 September 2001

[ Fighting Spam | Blacklists Compared | Current Blacklist Comparison ]

Survey results for all known public IP-based DNS blacklists.

  Hits   DNS Zone
  5265  (total number of IP addresses tested, including 263 at SDSC)
  1170  xbl.selwerd.cx
  1134  (union of all IP zones except xbl.selwerd.cx)
   490  outputs.orbz.org
   321  inputs.orbz.org
   299  blackholes.five-ten-sg.com (union of all results)
   293  relays.ordb.org
   287  or.orbl.org
   210  relays.osirusoft.com (union of all results)
   199  blackholes.intersil.net
   181  blackholes.five-ten-sg.com (result 127.0.0.4 = unconfirmed opt-in)
   178  ztl.dorkslayers.com
   161  relays.mail-abuse.org
   141  relays.osirusoft.com (result 127.0.0.2 = relay)
   141  inputs.relays.osirusoft.com
   124  flowgoaway.com
   112  orbs.dorkslayers.com
    95  block.blars.org
    82  dev.null.dk
    75  blackholes.five-ten-sg.com (result 127.0.0.2 = spam source)
    54  relays.osirusoft.com (result 127.0.0.4 = spam source)
    52  spews.relays.osirusoft.com
    46  spammers.v6net.org
    41  blackholes.five-ten-sg.com (result 127.0.0.3 = dialup)
    31  blocktest.relays.osirusoft.com (not a blacklist!)
    24  dialups.mail-abuse.org
    14  dialups.relays.osirusoft.com
    14  relays.osirusoft.com (result 127.0.0.3 = dialup)
     8  ipwhois.rfc-ignorant.org
     6  blackholes.mail-abuse.org
     3  orbz.gst-group.co.uk (union of all results)
     2  orbz.gst-group.co.uk (result 127.0.0.3 = relay)
     2  blackholes.five-ten-sg.com (result 127.0.0.5 = should be listed at MAPS)
     1  orbz.gst-group.co.uk (result 127.0.0.2 = relay output)
     1  relays.osirusoft.com (result 127.0.0.6 = spamware vendor)
     1  spamhaus.relays.osirusoft.com
Survey results for all known public domain-name-based DNS blacklists.

  Hits   DNS Zone
  3874  (total number of domains tested, including 182 at SDSC)
   248  (union of all domain zones)
   169  whois.rfc-ignorant.org
    42  postmaster.rfc-ignorant.org
    36  abuse.rfc-ignorant.org
    29  dsn.rfc-ignorant.org
The web sites listed below provide detailed information about the DNS zones listed above, including their listing policies.

The blackholes.intersil.net zone "lists entrenched spammers, mainsleaze and mainsleaze wannabes who have pestered users at Intersil." The flowgoaway.com zone lists FloNetwork systems.

The XBL is excluded from the zone union because of of its extremely aggressive listing policy, but otherwise is shown for completeness.

This document was last updated by Jeff Makey <jeff@sdsc.edu> on 9 September 2001.