Blacklists Compared

5 July 2008

[ 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 hostkarma.junkemailfilter.com (127.0.0.1 result), exemptions.ahbl.org, query.bondedsender.org, list.dnswl.org, accredit.habeas.com, iadb.isipp.com, and iadb2.isipp.com zones because they are not blacklists. Because it is too aggressive to be widely useful the l2.apews.org zone is also excluded from the union.

HitsDNS Zone
143447(total number of IP addresses tested, including 489 at SDSC)
136565(union of most IP zones)
116746zen.spamhaus.org (union of all results)
115609l2.apews.org
99633t1.dnsbl.net.au
73357zen.spamhaus.org (result 127.0.0.11 = Spamhaus PBL, Spamhaus entry)
70390cbl.abuseat.org
70279zen.spamhaus.org (result 127.0.0.4 = Composite Blocking List)
69072dnsbl-3.uceprotect.net
66585dnsbl-2.uceprotect.net
65986dnsbl-1.uceprotect.net
60950psbl.surriel.com
55530dnsbl.sorbs.net (union of all results)
53171hostkarma.junkemailfilter.com (result 127.0.0.2 = spam source)
45138no-more-funn.moensted.dk (union of all results)
44873dnsbl.sorbs.net (result 127.0.0.10 = dialup)
43013blackholes.five-ten-sg.com (union of all results)
38661blackholes.five-ten-sg.com (result 127.0.0.2 = spam source)
34770no-more-funn.moensted.dk (result 127.0.0.3 = dialup)
28180ix.dnsbl.manitu.net
25152ubl.unsubscore.com
23772bl.spamcop.net
23050db.wpbl.info
21831zen.spamhaus.org (result 127.0.0.10 = Spamhaus PBL, ISP contributed)
11611spam.dnsbl.sorbs.net
10264dnsbl.sorbs.net (result 127.0.0.7 = hacked/vulnerable)
9940no-more-funn.moensted.dk (result 127.0.0.2 = spam source)
9203bl.spamcannibal.org
8227countries.blackholes.us (result 127.6.4.3 = Russia)
7582countries.blackholes.us (result 127.1.5.6 = China)
7490tr.countries.nerd.dk
7112countries.blackholes.us (result 127.0.7.6 = Brazil)
6919hostkarma.junkemailfilter.com (result 127.0.0.3 = mix of spam and nonspam)
6752dnsbl.inps.de
5685countries.blackholes.us (result 127.7.9.2 = Turkey)
5315mail-abuse.blacklist.jippg.org
4762ips.backscatterer.org
4067list.dnswl.org (not a blacklist!)
3799korea.services.net
3299blackholes.five-ten-sg.com (result 127.0.0.9 = misc)
3211dnsbl.njabl.org (union of all results)
3178countries.blackholes.us (result 127.4.1.0 = Korea)
2902countries.blackholes.us (result 127.0.3.2 = Argentina)
2841dnsbl.njabl.org (result 127.0.0.9 = open proxy)
2446spamsources.fabel.dk
2387sbl.csma.biz
2217bl.csma.biz
2157hostkarma.junkemailfilter.com (result 127.0.0.1 = whitelisted)
2048countries.blackholes.us (result 127.7.6.4 = Thailand)
1809dnsbl.ahbl.org (union of all results)
1564dnsbl.ahbl.org (result 127.0.0.3 = open proxy)
1106countries.blackholes.us (result 127.4.8.4 = Mexico)
1013blackholes.five-ten-sg.com (result 127.0.0.4 = unconfirmed opt-in)
780countries.blackholes.us (result 127.3.9.2 = Japan)
768aspews.ext.sorbs.net
735zen.spamhaus.org (result 127.0.0.5 = time-expired NJABL open proxy)
566countries.blackholes.us (result 127.1.5.8 = Taiwan)
529dnsbl.sorbs.net (result 127.0.0.6 = spam source)
469zen.spamhaus.org (result 127.0.0.2 = Spamhaus SBL)
438hostkarma.junkemailfilter.com (result 127.0.0.4 = spam source aspirant)
333dnsbl.njabl.org (result 127.0.0.4 = spam source)
292no-more-funn.moensted.dk (result 127.0.0.9 = misc)
283query.bondedsender.org (not a blacklist!)
272countries.blackholes.us (result 127.4.5.8 = Malaysia)
263countries.blackholes.us (result 127.7.0.2 = Singapore)
256probes.dnsbl.net.au
216countries.blackholes.us (result 127.3.4.4 = Hong Kong)
213work.drbl.croco.net
199accredit.habeas.com (not a blacklist!)
175iadb2.isipp.com (not a blacklist!)
175dnsbl.ahbl.org (result 127.0.0.4 = spam source)
163iadb.isipp.com (not a blacklist!)
159bl.deadbeef.com
148tor.dnsbl.sectoor.de (union of all results)
147tor.dnsbl.sectoor.de (result 127.0.0.2 = /24 contains a Tor server)
128no-more-funn.moensted.dk (result 127.0.0.7 = spam haven)
92dnsbl.sorbs.net (result 127.0.0.2 = open http proxy)
90dnsbl.sorbs.net (result 127.0.0.3 = open socks proxy)
87multi.surbl.org
74no-more-funn.moensted.dk (result 127.0.0.10 = open proxy)
37dnsbl.njabl.org (result 127.0.0.2 = open relay)
31exemptions.ahbl.org (not a blacklist!)
25rdts.dnsbl.net.au
23dnsbl.ahbl.org (result 127.0.0.15 = open relay)
21blackholes.five-ten-sg.com (result 127.0.0.12 = spam-friendly freemail provider)
21dnsbl.ahbl.org (result 127.0.0.7 = spam haven)
19dnsbl.ahbl.org (result 127.0.0.19 = open proxy test zone)
17blackholes.five-ten-sg.com (result 127.0.0.7 = spam haven)
16dnsbl.sorbs.net (result 127.0.0.4 = open proxy)
15countries.blackholes.us (result 127.5.6.6 = Nigeria)
10spam.wytnij.to
10dnsbl.sorbs.net (result 127.0.0.5 = open relay)
8spamguard.leadmon.net (union of all results)
7multi.uribl.com (result 127.0.0.2 = spam resource)
7multi.uribl.com (union of all results)
4spamguard.leadmon.net (result 127.0.0.8 = open proxy)
4dnsbl.ahbl.org (result 127.0.0.20 = blog/wiki/comment spam source)
3spamguard.leadmon.net (result 127.0.0.7 = spam source netblock)
2dnsbl.sorbs.net (result 127.0.0.9 = zombie network)
2blackholes.five-ten-sg.com (result 127.0.0.11 = TCPA violator)
2blackholes.brainerd.net
2dnsbl.ahbl.org (result 127.0.0.10 = shoot on sight spammer)
1tor.dnsbl.sectoor.de (result 127.0.0.1 = Tor server)
1spamguard.leadmon.net (result 127.0.0.3 = spam source)
1dob.sibl.support-intelligence.net
1dnsbl.ahbl.org (result 127.0.0.11 = no postmaster or abuse e-mail)


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

HitsDNS Zone
143447(total number of IP addresses whose names were tested, including 489 at SDSC)
83486(union of all domain zones)
67184l1.apews.org
59982abuse.rfc-ignorant.org
48413rddn.dnsbl.net.au
30794dynamic.rhs.mailpolice.com
30285whois.rfc-ignorant.org (union of all results)
20755whois.rfc-ignorant.org (result 127.0.0.7 = no whois data at all)
9530whois.rfc-ignorant.org (result 127.0.0.5 = bad whois data)
5475webmail.rhs.mailpolice.com
573adv.rhs.mailpolice.com
386multi.surbl.org
334multi.uribl.com (union of all results)
332multi.uribl.com (result 127.0.0.2 = spam resource)
317bl.deadbeef.com
75rhsbl.ahbl.org
71postmaster.rfc-ignorant.org
62bogusmx.rfc-ignorant.org
53dsn.rfc-ignorant.org (zone not intended for this use)
51bulk.rhs.mailpolice.com
33dob.sibl.support-intelligence.net
31rhsbl.sorbs.net (result 127.0.0.11 = domain uses bad address space)
31rhsbl.sorbs.net (union of all results)
11porn.rhs.mailpolice.com
2multi.uribl.com (result 127.0.0.4 = opt-out spam resource)


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

HitsDNS Zone
124626(total number of domains tested, including 425 at SDSC)
28452(union of all domain zones)
14649whois.rfc-ignorant.org (union of all results)
14025whois.rfc-ignorant.org (result 127.0.0.7 = no whois data at all)
5563bogusmx.rfc-ignorant.org
4553abuse.rfc-ignorant.org
2519postmaster.rfc-ignorant.org
1799multi.surbl.org
1555multi.uribl.com (union of all results)
1501multi.uribl.com (result 127.0.0.2 = spam resource)
1434l1.apews.org
1233webmail.rhs.mailpolice.com
947dsn.rfc-ignorant.org
624whois.rfc-ignorant.org (result 127.0.0.5 = bad whois data)
433porn.rhs.mailpolice.com
284adv.rhs.mailpolice.com
173rhsbl.ahbl.org
147bulk.rhs.mailpolice.com
105rddn.dnsbl.net.au (zone not intended for this use)
89dynamic.rhs.mailpolice.com
53multi.uribl.com (result 127.0.0.4 = opt-out spam resource)
48dob.sibl.support-intelligence.net
44rhsbl.sorbs.net (result 127.0.0.11 = domain uses bad address space)
44rhsbl.sorbs.net (union of all results)
13ex.dnsbl.org
4bl.deadbeef.com
3fraud.rhs.mailpolice.com
1multi.uribl.com (result 127.0.0.8 = new domain or concealed contact)


This document was last updated by Jeff Makey <jeff@sdsc.edu> on 11 July 2008.