Blacklists Compared

10 January 2004

[ Fighting Spam | Dialup Zones | Blacklists Compared | Current Blacklist Comparison | Sendmail Configuration ]

Survey results for all known public IP-based DNS blacklists. Lookups were done on connecting IP addresses. The "union of most IP zones" line excludes the exemptions.ahbl.org and query.bondedsender.org zones because they are not blacklists, and because it is too aggressive to be widely useful the block.blars.org zone is also excluded.

HitsDNS Zone
17241(total number of IP addresses tested, including 324 at SDSC)
13520(union of most IP zones)
8858t1.dnsbl.net.au
8610dnsbl.sorbs.net (union of all results)
7523block.blars.org
7339blackholes.five-ten-sg.com (union of all results)
6333blackholes.five-ten-sg.com (result 127.0.0.2 = spam source)
6169sbl-xbl.spamhaus.org (union of all results)
5974unconfirmed.dsbl.org
5819dsbl.dnsbl.net.au
5819list.dsbl.org
5569dnsbl.sorbs.net (result 127.0.0.10 = dialup)
5367dynablock.njabl.org
4867cbl.abuseat.org
4860xbl.spamhaus.org
4860sbl-xbl.spamhaus.org (result 127.0.0.4 = Spamhaus XBL)
3968dnsbl.njabl.org (union of all results)
3795no-more-funn.moensted.dk (union of all results)
3309bl.spamcop.net
3121sbl.csma.biz
2474cn-kr.blackholes.us (union of all results)
2001dnsbl.njabl.org (result 127.0.0.9 = open proxy)
1980dnsbl.ahbl.org (union of all results)
1890no-more-funn.moensted.dk (result 127.0.0.2 = spam source)
1746ipwhois.rfc-ignorant.org
1715dnsbl.sorbs.net (result 127.0.0.3 = open socks proxy)
1661unsure.nether.net
1620bl.csma.biz
1593l2.spews.dnsbl.sorbs.net
1567spam.wytnij.to
1522dnsbl.ahbl.org (result 127.0.0.3 = open proxy)
1480no-more-funn.moensted.dk (result 127.0.0.3 = dialup)
1447dnsbl.sorbs.net (result 127.0.0.2 = open http proxy)
1439cn-kr.blackholes.us (result 127.0.0.2 = China)
1439china.blackholes.us
1436sbl-xbl.spamhaus.org (result 127.0.0.2 = Spamhaus SBL)
1436sbl.spamhaus.org
1299l1.spews.dnsbl.sorbs.net
1298spews.dnsbl.net.au
1151psbl.surriel.com
1081dnsbl.njabl.org (result 127.0.0.3 = dialup)
1035cn-kr.blackholes.us (result 127.0.0.3 = Korea)
1035korea.blackholes.us
1015korea.services.net
792spamsources.fabel.dk
770rmst.dnsbl.net.au
723blackholes.five-ten-sg.com (result 127.0.0.7 = spam haven)
698ybl.megacity.org
650dnsbl.njabl.org (result 127.0.0.4 = spam source)
644dnsbl.sorbs.net (result 127.0.0.6 = spam source)
600probes.dnsbl.net.au
530pss.spambusters.org.ar
456dnsbl.ahbl.org (result 127.0.0.4 = spam source)
455cw.blackholes.us
440blacklist.spambag.org
423work.drbl.croco.net
397spamguard.leadmon.net (union of all results)
388spamguard.leadmon.net (result 127.0.0.2 = dialup)
376relays.visi.com
336comcast.blackholes.us
334blackholes.intersil.net
315opm.blitzed.org
305level3.blackholes.us
302relaywatcher.n13mbl.com
294rr.blackholes.us
264brazil.blackholes.us
250no-more-funn.moensted.dk (result 127.0.0.10 = open proxy)
239dnsbl.njabl.org (result 127.0.0.2 = source or relay)
238taiwan.blackholes.us
227dnsbl.antispam.or.id
218blackholes.five-ten-sg.com (result 127.0.0.4 = unconfirmed opt-in)
210ricn.dnsbl.net.au
203no-more-funn.moensted.dk (result 127.0.0.7 = spam haven)
183xo.blackholes.us
173dialup.blacklist.jippg.org (union of all results)
172dialup.blacklist.jippg.org (result 127.0.0.3 = dialup outside Japan)
169japan.blackholes.us
163russia.blackholes.us
162mail-abuse.blacklist.jippg.org
157relays.ordb.org
155charter.blackholes.us
136multihop.dsbl.org
134wanadoo-fr.blackholes.us
126verio.blackholes.us
114qwest.blackholes.us
102singapore.blackholes.us
102interbusiness.blackholes.us
96dnsbl.sorbs.net (result 127.0.0.5 = open relay)
95sbbl.they.com
94osrs.dnsbl.net.au
91mexico.blackholes.us
87dun.dnsrbl.net
85query.bondedsender.org (not a blacklist!)
82dnsbl.sorbs.net (result 127.0.0.4 = open proxy)
82flowgoaway.com
77hongkong.blackholes.us
75relays.nether.net
73above.blackholes.us
72relays.bl.kundenserver.de
70argentina.blackholes.us
70dnsbl.sorbs.net (result 127.0.0.9 = zombie network)
67internap.blackholes.us
58yipes.blackholes.us
583y.spam.mrs.kithrup.com
54turkey.blackholes.us
54tr.countries.nerd.dk
51osps.dnsbl.net.au
47spam.exsilia.net (union of all results)
46ohps.dnsbl.net.au
42blackholes.brainerd.net
41rogers.blackholes.us
38inflow.blackholes.us
38a2000.blackholes.us
37he.blackholes.us
36rdts.dnsbl.net.au
34telstra.blackholes.us
33swbell.blackholes.us
32blackholes.five-ten-sg.com (result 127.0.0.5 = relay output)
31infolink.blackholes.us
30nigeria.blackholes.us
30exemptions.ahbl.org (not a blacklist!)
29spam.exsilia.net (result 127.0.0.2 = spam source)
28covad.blackholes.us
28bellsouth.blackholes.us
28blackholes.uceb.org (union of all results)
25cybercon.blackholes.us
22thailand.blackholes.us
20broadwing.blackholes.us
20ph.rbl.cluecentral.net
19rackspace.blackholes.us
19blackholes.five-ten-sg.com (result 127.0.0.9 = misc)
19satos.rbl.cluecentral.net
18malaysia.blackholes.us
18eli.blackholes.us
18spam.exsilia.net (result 127.0.0.3 = virus source)
12blackholes.uceb.org (result 127.0.0.2 = open relay)
11blackholes.uceb.org (result 127.0.0.3 = spam source)
9burst.blackholes.us
9dnsbl.sorbs.net (result 127.0.0.7 = open formmail.cgi)
9no-more-funn.moensted.dk (result 127.0.0.5 = relay output)
9no-more-funn.moensted.dk (result 127.0.0.9 = misc)
8spamguard.leadmon.net (result 127.0.0.7 = spam source netblock)
8no-more-funn.moensted.dk (result 127.0.0.4 = unconfirmed opt-in)
8bl.deadbeef.com
7blackholes.five-ten-sg.com (result 127.0.0.12 = spam-friendly freemail provider)
6spamsources.yamta.org (result 127.0.0.2 = spam source)
6pajo.blackholes.us
6olm.blackholes.us
6affinity.blackholes.us
4maxim.blackholes.us
4epoch.blackholes.us
4owps.dnsbl.net.au
4blackholes.five-ten-sg.com (result 127.0.0.10 = virus notices)
3navisite.blackholes.us
3blackholes.uceb.org (result 127.0.0.4 = spam source network)
3dev.null.dk
2blackholes.uceb.org (result 127.0.0.8 = spam source with fake sender)
2omrs.dnsbl.net.au
2blackholes.five-ten-sg.com (result 127.0.0.8 = open web form)
2dnsbl.ahbl.org (result 127.0.0.7 = spam haven)
1dnsbl.njabl.org (result 127.0.0.5 = relay output)
1dnsbl.njabl.org (result 127.0.0.8 = open formmail.cgi)
1spamguard.leadmon.net (result 127.0.0.3 = spam source)
1dialup.blacklist.jippg.org (result 127.0.0.4 = dialup in Japan)
1blackholes.five-ten-sg.com (result 127.0.0.6 = open relay)
1dnsbl.ahbl.org (result 127.0.0.15 = open relay)
1dnsbl.ahbl.org (result 127.0.0.127 = misc)

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.

Survey results for all known public domain-name-based DNS blacklists. Lookups were done on the domain names of connecting IP addresses.

HitsDNS Zone
17241(total number of IP addresses whose names were tested, including 324 at SDSC)
8478(union of all domain zones)
6263abuse.rfc-ignorant.org
4409rddn.dnsbl.net.au
1392whois.rfc-ignorant.org (union of all results)
697whois.rfc-ignorant.org (result 127.0.0.5 = bad whois data)
695whois.rfc-ignorant.org (result 127.0.0.7 = no whois data at all)
495blackhole.securitysage.com
276bulk.rhs.mailpolice.com
236rhsbl.ahbl.org
147bl.deadbeef.com
11dsn.rfc-ignorant.org (zone not intended for this use)
10postmaster.rfc-ignorant.org
4porn.rhs.mailpolice.com
1bogusmx.rfc-ignorant.org
1ex.dnsbl.org (result 127.0.0.2 = spamsites)
1ex.dnsbl.org (union of all results)

Survey results for all known public domain-name-based DNS blacklists. Lookups were done on SMTP sender domains.

HitsDNS Zone
9756(total number of domains tested, including 179 at SDSC)
3888(union of all domain zones)
1654bulk.rhs.mailpolice.com
1022rhsbl.ahbl.org
1016whois.rfc-ignorant.org (union of all results)
884abuse.rfc-ignorant.org
874whois.rfc-ignorant.org (result 127.0.0.7 = no whois data at all)
524blackhole.securitysage.com
508dsn.rfc-ignorant.org
468postmaster.rfc-ignorant.org
142whois.rfc-ignorant.org (result 127.0.0.5 = bad whois data)
65bogusmx.rfc-ignorant.org
56bl.deadbeef.com
49porn.rhs.mailpolice.com
31ex.dnsbl.org (union of all results)
29ex.dnsbl.org (result 127.0.0.2 = spamsites)
12rddn.dnsbl.net.au (zone not intended for this use)
8rhsbl.sorbs.net (result 127.0.0.11 = domain uses bad address space)
8rhsbl.sorbs.net (union of all results)
2ex.dnsbl.org (result 127.0.0.3 = spam source)

This document was last updated by Jeff Makey <jeff@sdsc.edu> on 19 January 2004.