Blacklists Compared

3 December 2005

[ 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
46515(total number of IP addresses tested, including 491 at SDSC)
39608(union of most IP zones)
30104block.blars.org
23349dnsbl.sorbs.net (union of all results)
22900blackholes.five-ten-sg.com (union of all results)
21721t1.dnsbl.net.au
21703blackholes.five-ten-sg.com (result 127.0.0.2 = spam source)
17150sbl-xbl.spamhaus.org (union of all results)
16897dnsbl.sorbs.net (result 127.0.0.10 = dialup)
15596xbl.spamhaus.org (union of all results)
14749sbl-xbl.spamhaus.org (result 127.0.0.4 = Composite Blocking List)
14748xbl.spamhaus.org (result 127.0.0.4 = Composite Blocking List)
14730cbl.abuseat.org
12443psbl.surriel.com
11672dynablock.njabl.org
11229cn-kr.blackholes.us (result 127.0.0.2 = China)
11229cn-kr.blackholes.us (union of all results)
9302no-more-funn.moensted.dk (union of all results)
7676china.blackholes.us
7635dsbl.dnsbl.net.au
6683list.dsbl.org
6677unconfirmed.dsbl.org
5816sbl.csma.biz
5656blacklist.spambag.org
5534bl.spamcop.net
4778combined-hib.dnsiplists.completewhois.com (union of all results)
4768combined-hib.dnsiplists.completewhois.com (result 127.0.0.4 = bad whois data)
4349dnsbl.sorbs.net (result 127.0.0.6 = spam source)
3592no-more-funn.moensted.dk (result 127.0.0.10 = open proxy)
3554korea.blackholes.us
3546korea.services.net
3525no-more-funn.moensted.dk (result 127.0.0.2 = spam source)
3391l2.spews.dnsbl.sorbs.net
3001ricn.dnsbl.net.au
2866l1.spews.dnsbl.sorbs.net
2862spews.dnsbl.net.au
2820dnsbl.njabl.org (union of all results)
2798wpbl.dnsbl.net.au
2733bl.csma.biz
2652dnsbl.ahbl.org (union of all results)
2489dnsbl.rangers.eu.org (union of all results)
2370spamsources.fabel.dk
2367dnsbl.regedit64.net
2363rmst.dnsbl.net.au
2316unsure.nether.net
2299dnsbl.rangers.eu.org (result 127.0.0.2 = dialup)
2059dnsbl.sorbs.net (result 127.0.0.7 = open formmail.cgi)
2014sbl-xbl.spamhaus.org (result 127.0.0.2 = Spamhaus SBL)
2014sbl.spamhaus.org
1951dnsbl.njabl.org (result 127.0.0.9 = open proxy)
1855dnsbl.ahbl.org (result 127.0.0.3 = open proxy)
1772brazil.blackholes.us
1718no-more-funn.moensted.dk (result 127.0.0.3 = dialup)
1670russia.blackholes.us
1302xbl.spamhaus.org (result 127.0.0.6 = Blitzed Open Proxy Monitor List)
1300opm.blitzed.org
1299sbl-xbl.spamhaus.org (result 127.0.0.6 = Blitzed Open Proxy Monitor List)
1213dnsbl.sorbs.net (result 127.0.0.3 = open socks proxy)
1036spam.wytnij.to
1010japan.blackholes.us
994xbl.spamhaus.org (result 127.0.0.5 = time-expired NJABL open proxy)
993sbl-xbl.spamhaus.org (result 127.0.0.5 = time-expired NJABL open proxy)
876probes.dnsbl.net.au
856bl.spamcannibal.org
843dnsbl.sorbs.net (result 127.0.0.2 = open http proxy)
786dnsbl.ahbl.org (result 127.0.0.4 = spam source)
781dnsbl.antispam.or.id
678blackholes.five-ten-sg.com (result 127.0.0.7 = spam haven)
672mail-abuse.blacklist.jippg.org
536mexico.blackholes.us
510taiwan.blackholes.us
504tr.countries.nerd.dk
501turkey.blackholes.us
436argentina.blackholes.us
415dnsbl.njabl.org (result 127.0.0.3 = dialup)
373blackholes.five-ten-sg.com (result 127.0.0.4 = unconfirmed opt-in)
346no-more-funn.moensted.dk (result 127.0.0.9 = misc)
313dnsbl.njabl.org (result 127.0.0.4 = spam source)
307hongkong.blackholes.us
240malaysia.blackholes.us
205no-more-funn.moensted.dk (result 127.0.0.7 = spam haven)
205query.bondedsender.org (not a blacklist!)
199thailand.blackholes.us
160blackholes.intersil.net
151singapore.blackholes.us
150dnsbl.njabl.org (result 127.0.0.2 = open relay)
118relays.ordb.org
98blackholes.five-ten-sg.com (result 127.0.0.9 = misc)
93dnsbl.rangers.eu.org (result 127.0.0.8 = spam source)
92flowgoaway.com
84dnsbl.rangers.eu.org (result 127.0.0.16 = spam haven)
83dnsbl.ahbl.org (result 127.0.0.7 = spam haven)
80ohps.dnsbl.net.au
74dnsbl.sorbs.net (result 127.0.0.4 = open proxy)
71multihop.dsbl.org
34blackholes.five-ten-sg.com (result 127.0.0.12 = spam-friendly freemail provider)
22blackholes.uceb.org (union of all results)
21osps.dnsbl.net.au
21exemptions.ahbl.org (not a blacklist!)
20relays.nether.net
16osrs.dnsbl.net.au
16rdts.dnsbl.net.au
15blackholes.brainerd.net
14nigeria.blackholes.us
14dnsbl.rangers.eu.org (result 127.0.0.4 = virus notices)
12blackholes.uceb.org (result 127.0.0.6 = spam haven)
12spamguard.leadmon.net (union of all results)
11spamguard.leadmon.net (result 127.0.0.7 = spam source netblock)
11dnsbl.ahbl.org (result 127.0.0.19 = open proxy test zone)
10dnsbl.sorbs.net (result 127.0.0.5 = open relay)
10combined-hib.dnsiplists.completewhois.com (result 127.0.0.2 = unallocated IP address)
8blackholes.five-ten-sg.com (result 127.0.0.10 = virus notices)
7hil.habeas.com
6owps.dnsbl.net.au
6dnsbl.ahbl.org (result 127.0.0.15 = open relay)
5blackholes.uceb.org (result 127.0.0.3 = spam source)
5blackholes.uceb.org (result 127.0.0.2 = open relay)
5tor.dnsbl.sectoor.de (result 127.0.0.2 = /24 contains a Tor server)
5tor.dnsbl.sectoor.de (union of all results)
4blackholes.five-ten-sg.com (result 127.0.0.5 = relay output)
2omrs.dnsbl.net.au
2no-more-funn.moensted.dk (result 127.0.0.4 = unconfirmed opt-in)
2blackholes.five-ten-sg.com (result 127.0.0.6 = open relay)
1dnsbl.sorbs.net (result 127.0.0.9 = zombie network)
1spamguard.leadmon.net (result 127.0.0.3 = spam source)

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
46515(total number of IP addresses whose names were tested, including 491 at SDSC)
22080(union of all domain zones)
15882abuse.rfc-ignorant.org
12715rddn.dnsbl.net.au
9506whois.rfc-ignorant.org (union of all results)
7153whois.rfc-ignorant.org (result 127.0.0.5 = bad whois data)
6127dynamic.rhs.mailpolice.com
2353whois.rfc-ignorant.org (result 127.0.0.7 = no whois data at all)
1952webmail.rhs.mailpolice.com
1104rhsbl.ahbl.org
484adv.rhs.mailpolice.com
458bulk.rhs.mailpolice.com
300bl.deadbeef.com
258postmaster.rfc-ignorant.org
157bogusmx.rfc-ignorant.org
156dsn.rfc-ignorant.org (zone not intended for this use)
3blackhole.securitysage.com
1porn.rhs.mailpolice.com
1cart00ney.surriel.com


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

HitsDNS Zone
31776(total number of domains tested, including 431 at SDSC)
6914(union of all domain zones)
2495whois.rfc-ignorant.org (union of all results)
2270abuse.rfc-ignorant.org
1982whois.rfc-ignorant.org (result 127.0.0.7 = no whois data at all)
1104postmaster.rfc-ignorant.org
1100webmail.rhs.mailpolice.com
1029rhsbl.ahbl.org
739dsn.rfc-ignorant.org
570bogusmx.rfc-ignorant.org
513whois.rfc-ignorant.org (result 127.0.0.5 = bad whois data)
498bulk.rhs.mailpolice.com
228adv.rhs.mailpolice.com
126porn.rhs.mailpolice.com
123blackhole.securitysage.com
123bl.deadbeef.com
34rhsbl.sorbs.net (result 127.0.0.11 = domain uses bad address space)
34rhsbl.sorbs.net (union of all results)
32rddn.dnsbl.net.au (zone not intended for this use)
16ex.dnsbl.org
7dynamic.rhs.mailpolice.com
4cart00ney.surriel.com
1fraud.rhs.mailpolice.com


This document was last updated by Jeff Makey <jeff@sdsc.edu> on 16 December 2005.