Blacklists Compared

19 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
155990(total number of IP addresses tested, including 487 at SDSC)
147602(union of most IP zones)
122596zen.spamhaus.org (union of all results)
121619l2.apews.org
108290t1.dnsbl.net.au
81626cbl.abuseat.org
81524zen.spamhaus.org (result 127.0.0.4 = Composite Blocking List)
76088dnsbl-3.uceprotect.net
75190zen.spamhaus.org (result 127.0.0.11 = Spamhaus PBL, Spamhaus entry)
71664dnsbl-1.uceprotect.net
68526dnsbl-2.uceprotect.net
61855psbl.surriel.com
60797hostkarma.junkemailfilter.com (result 127.0.0.2 = spam source)
59801dnsbl.sorbs.net (union of all results)
45887dnsbl.sorbs.net (result 127.0.0.10 = dialup)
44734blackholes.five-ten-sg.com (union of all results)
43381ubl.unsubscore.com
42520no-more-funn.moensted.dk (union of all results)
40102blackholes.five-ten-sg.com (result 127.0.0.2 = spam source)
31795ix.dnsbl.manitu.net
31092no-more-funn.moensted.dk (result 127.0.0.3 = dialup)
27691bl.spamcop.net
24224db.wpbl.info
22640zen.spamhaus.org (result 127.0.0.10 = Spamhaus PBL, ISP contributed)
13413dnsbl.sorbs.net (result 127.0.0.7 = hacked/vulnerable)
12504spam.dnsbl.sorbs.net
10998no-more-funn.moensted.dk (result 127.0.0.2 = spam source)
9972bl.spamcannibal.org
9210sbl.csma.biz
8662bl.csma.biz
8632tr.countries.nerd.dk
8499countries.blackholes.us (result 127.1.5.6 = China)
8459countries.blackholes.us (result 127.6.4.3 = Russia)
7692ips.backscatterer.org
7617countries.blackholes.us (result 127.0.7.6 = Brazil)
7578hostkarma.junkemailfilter.com (result 127.0.0.3 = mix of spam and nonspam)
7210dnsbl.inps.de
6552countries.blackholes.us (result 127.7.9.2 = Turkey)
6038mail-abuse.blacklist.jippg.org
4452list.dnswl.org (not a blacklist!)
3977korea.services.net
3537dnsbl.njabl.org (union of all results)
3456blackholes.five-ten-sg.com (result 127.0.0.9 = misc)
3341countries.blackholes.us (result 127.4.1.0 = Korea)
2995dnsbl.njabl.org (result 127.0.0.9 = open proxy)
2935countries.blackholes.us (result 127.0.3.2 = Argentina)
2782hostkarma.junkemailfilter.com (result 127.0.0.1 = whitelisted)
2703spamsources.fabel.dk
1841dnsbl.ahbl.org (union of all results)
1774rmst.dnsbl.net.au
1766countries.blackholes.us (result 127.7.6.4 = Thailand)
1637dnsbl.ahbl.org (result 127.0.0.3 = open proxy)
1447countries.blackholes.us (result 127.3.9.2 = Japan)
1133blackholes.five-ten-sg.com (result 127.0.0.4 = unconfirmed opt-in)
1033countries.blackholes.us (result 127.4.8.4 = Mexico)
979aspews.ext.sorbs.net
793zen.spamhaus.org (result 127.0.0.5 = time-expired NJABL open proxy)
612countries.blackholes.us (result 127.1.5.8 = Taiwan)
606dnsbl.sorbs.net (result 127.0.0.6 = spam source)
469zen.spamhaus.org (result 127.0.0.2 = Spamhaus SBL)
448hostkarma.junkemailfilter.com (result 127.0.0.4 = spam source aspirant)
380countries.blackholes.us (result 127.3.4.4 = Hong Kong)
371dnsbl.njabl.org (result 127.0.0.4 = spam source)
313countries.blackholes.us (result 127.7.0.2 = Singapore)
293query.bondedsender.org (not a blacklist!)
255countries.blackholes.us (result 127.4.5.8 = Malaysia)
237probes.dnsbl.net.au
228no-more-funn.moensted.dk (result 127.0.0.7 = spam haven)
226work.drbl.croco.net
215accredit.habeas.com (not a blacklist!)
200no-more-funn.moensted.dk (result 127.0.0.9 = misc)
181iadb2.isipp.com (not a blacklist!)
171dnsbl.njabl.org (result 127.0.0.2 = open relay)
168iadb.isipp.com (not a blacklist!)
154bl.deadbeef.com
148dnsbl.ahbl.org (result 127.0.0.4 = spam source)
129tor.dnsbl.sectoor.de (union of all results)
128tor.dnsbl.sectoor.de (result 127.0.0.2 = /24 contains a Tor server)
103dnsbl.sorbs.net (result 127.0.0.2 = open http proxy)
101dnsbl.sorbs.net (result 127.0.0.3 = open socks proxy)
100no-more-funn.moensted.dk (result 127.0.0.10 = open proxy)
69multi.surbl.org
35exemptions.ahbl.org (not a blacklist!)
22blackholes.five-ten-sg.com (result 127.0.0.12 = spam-friendly freemail provider)
22dnsbl.ahbl.org (result 127.0.0.15 = open relay)
21blackholes.five-ten-sg.com (result 127.0.0.7 = spam haven)
18countries.blackholes.us (result 127.5.6.6 = Nigeria)
16dnsbl.ahbl.org (result 127.0.0.7 = spam haven)
14dnsbl.sorbs.net (result 127.0.0.4 = open proxy)
13rdts.dnsbl.net.au
13dnsbl.ahbl.org (result 127.0.0.19 = open proxy test zone)
13spamguard.leadmon.net (union of all results)
12dnsbl.sorbs.net (result 127.0.0.5 = open relay)
10spam.wytnij.to
5spamguard.leadmon.net (result 127.0.0.7 = spam source netblock)
4dnsbl.sorbs.net (result 127.0.0.9 = zombie network)
4spamguard.leadmon.net (result 127.0.0.8 = open proxy)
4dnsbl.ahbl.org (result 127.0.0.20 = blog/wiki/comment spam source)
3multi.uribl.com (result 127.0.0.2 = spam resource)
3ohps.dnsbl.net.au
3spamguard.leadmon.net (result 127.0.0.3 = spam source)
3multi.uribl.com (union of all results)
2blackholes.brainerd.net
2dnsbl.ahbl.org (result 127.0.0.11 = no postmaster or abuse e-mail)
1tor.dnsbl.sectoor.de (result 127.0.0.1 = Tor server)
1spamguard.leadmon.net (result 127.0.0.5 = open relay)
1dob.sibl.support-intelligence.net


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

HitsDNS Zone
155990(total number of IP addresses whose names were tested, including 487 at SDSC)
88767(union of all domain zones)
69147l1.apews.org
63295abuse.rfc-ignorant.org
49664rddn.dnsbl.net.au
31830whois.rfc-ignorant.org (union of all results)
30540dynamic.rhs.mailpolice.com
20917whois.rfc-ignorant.org (result 127.0.0.7 = no whois data at all)
10914whois.rfc-ignorant.org (result 127.0.0.5 = bad whois data)
5937webmail.rhs.mailpolice.com
574adv.rhs.mailpolice.com
458multi.surbl.org
416multi.uribl.com (result 127.0.0.2 = spam resource)
416multi.uribl.com (union of all results)
359bl.deadbeef.com
99bogusmx.rfc-ignorant.org
97rhsbl.ahbl.org
90postmaster.rfc-ignorant.org
66dsn.rfc-ignorant.org (zone not intended for this use)
64bulk.rhs.mailpolice.com
25rhsbl.sorbs.net (result 127.0.0.11 = domain uses bad address space)
25dob.sibl.support-intelligence.net
25rhsbl.sorbs.net (union of all results)
11porn.rhs.mailpolice.com


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

HitsDNS Zone
137168(total number of domains tested, including 427 at SDSC)
28904(union of all domain zones)
14256whois.rfc-ignorant.org (union of all results)
13618whois.rfc-ignorant.org (result 127.0.0.7 = no whois data at all)
5879bogusmx.rfc-ignorant.org
4689abuse.rfc-ignorant.org
2343postmaster.rfc-ignorant.org
1985multi.surbl.org
1733multi.uribl.com (union of all results)
1676multi.uribl.com (result 127.0.0.2 = spam resource)
1673l1.apews.org
1213webmail.rhs.mailpolice.com
1021dsn.rfc-ignorant.org
638whois.rfc-ignorant.org (result 127.0.0.5 = bad whois data)
497porn.rhs.mailpolice.com
290adv.rhs.mailpolice.com
196rhsbl.ahbl.org
170bulk.rhs.mailpolice.com
154rddn.dnsbl.net.au (zone not intended for this use)
145dynamic.rhs.mailpolice.com
96dob.sibl.support-intelligence.net
57multi.uribl.com (result 127.0.0.4 = opt-out spam resource)
43rhsbl.sorbs.net (result 127.0.0.11 = domain uses bad address space)
43rhsbl.sorbs.net (union of all results)
13ex.dnsbl.org
4bl.deadbeef.com
3fraud.rhs.mailpolice.com


This document was last updated by Jeff Makey <jeff@sdsc.edu> on 25 July 2008.