Blacklists Compared

6 June 2009

[ 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 (all results but 127.0.0.2, 127.0.0.3, and 127.0.0.4), 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
161703(total number of IP addresses tested, including 203 at SDSC)
158061(union of most IP zones)
143583zen.spamhaus.org (union of all results)
138680l2.apews.org
135473b.barracudacentral.org
110743cbl.abuseat.org
110703zen.spamhaus.org (result 127.0.0.4 = Composite Blocking List)
100779hostkarma.junkemailfilter.com (result 127.0.0.2 = spam source)
99199dnsbl-3.uceprotect.net
97841dnsbl-2.uceprotect.net
96882dnsbl.sorbs.net (union of all results)
92108dnsbl-1.uceprotect.net
85215zen.spamhaus.org (result 127.0.0.11 = Spamhaus PBL, Spamhaus entry)
78060psbl.surriel.com
77722t1.dnsbl.net.au
67047dnsbl.sorbs.net (result 127.0.0.7 = hacked/vulnerable)
59536hostkarma.junkemailfilter.com (result 127.0.1.1 = MTA sends QUIT)
43426dnsbl.sorbs.net (result 127.0.0.10 = dialup)
41230no-more-funn.moensted.dk (union of all results)
38620blackholes.five-ten-sg.com (union of all results)
35022blackholes.five-ten-sg.com (result 127.0.0.2 = spam source)
33565bl.spamcop.net
30966ubl.unsubscore.com
30816no-more-funn.moensted.dk (result 127.0.0.3 = dialup)
28720zen.spamhaus.org (result 127.0.0.10 = Spamhaus PBL, ISP contributed)
25055db.wpbl.info
24841ix.dnsbl.manitu.net
13503spam.dnsbl.sorbs.net
12393mail-abuse.blacklist.jippg.org
10547dnsbl.inps.de
10410tr.countries.nerd.dk
9322no-more-funn.moensted.dk (result 127.0.0.2 = spam source)
9120bl.spamcannibal.org
7527korea.services.net
6036ips.backscatterer.org
4869hostkarma.junkemailfilter.com (result 127.0.1.2 = MTA does not send QUIT)
3850list.dnswl.org (not a blacklist!)
3524spamsources.fabel.dk
3319hostkarma.junkemailfilter.com (result 127.0.0.1 = whitelisted)
2498blackholes.five-ten-sg.com (result 127.0.0.9 = misc)
2428dnsbl.njabl.org (union of all results)
2121dnsbl.njabl.org (result 127.0.0.9 = open proxy)
1852hostkarma.junkemailfilter.com (result 127.0.0.3 = mix of spam and nonspam)
1802rmst.dnsbl.net.au
1775hostkarma.junkemailfilter.com (result 127.0.0.5 = do not blacklist)
1086blackholes.five-ten-sg.com (result 127.0.0.4 = unconfirmed opt-in)
920hostkarma.junkemailfilter.com (result 127.0.0.4 = spam source aspirant)
837aspews.ext.sorbs.net
526no-more-funn.moensted.dk (result 127.0.0.10 = open proxy)
494no-more-funn.moensted.dk (result 127.0.0.9 = misc)
414query.bondedsender.org (not a blacklist!)
384l2.bbfh.ext.sorbs.net
230accredit.habeas.com (not a blacklist!)
222dnsbl.sorbs.net (result 127.0.0.6 = spam source)
199l1.bbfh.ext.sorbs.net
180iadb2.isipp.com (not a blacklist!)
159zen.spamhaus.org (result 127.0.0.2 = Spamhaus SBL)
159dnsbl.njabl.org (result 127.0.0.4 = spam source)
148dnsbl.njabl.org (result 127.0.0.2 = open relay)
141iadb.isipp.com (not a blacklist!)
114spamguard.leadmon.net (union of all results)
113no-more-funn.moensted.dk (result 127.0.0.7 = spam haven)
109spamguard.leadmon.net (result 127.0.0.7 = spam source netblock)
99tor.dnsbl.sectoor.de (result 127.0.0.2 = /24 contains a Tor server)
99tor.dnsbl.sectoor.de (union of all results)
79bl.deadbeef.com
63probes.dnsbl.net.au
59dnsbl.ahbl.org (union of all results)
50dnsbl.ahbl.org (result 127.0.0.3 = open proxy)
49zen.spamhaus.org (result 127.0.0.5 = time-expired NJABL open proxy)
36dnsbl.sorbs.net (result 127.0.0.2 = open http proxy)
34dnsbl.sorbs.net (result 127.0.0.3 = open socks proxy)
14blackholes.five-ten-sg.com (result 127.0.0.12 = spam-friendly freemail provider)
9dnsbl-0.uceprotect.net
9multi.surbl.org
9dnsbl.ahbl.org (result 127.0.0.4 = spam source)
5multi.uribl.com (result 127.0.0.2 = spam resource)
5multi.uribl.com (union of all results)
4dnsbl.sorbs.net (result 127.0.0.5 = open relay)
3dnsbl.sorbs.net (result 127.0.0.9 = zombie network)
3spamguard.leadmon.net (result 127.0.0.8 = open proxy)
3blackholes.brainerd.net
2rdts.dnsbl.net.au
2spamguard.leadmon.net (result 127.0.0.3 = spam source)
2hostkarma.junkemailfilter.com (result 127.0.2.3 = domain first seen more than 7 days ago)
1dnsbl.sorbs.net (result 127.0.0.4 = open proxy)

Survey results for all known public domain-name-based DNS blacklists. Lookups were done on the domain names of connecting IP addresses. The "union of most domain zones" line includes data from the hostkarma.junkemailfilter.com zone only when the results are 127.0.0.2, 127.0.0.3, or 127.0.0.4 because other results are not blacklists.

HitsDNS Zone
161703(total number of IP addresses whose names were tested, including 203 at SDSC)
104470hostkarma.junkemailfilter.com (result 127.0.2.3 = domain first seen more than 7 days ago)
96995hostkarma.junkemailfilter.com (result 127.0.1.1 = MTA sends QUIT)
87929(union of most domain zones)
77485l1.apews.org
64086abuse.rfc-ignorant.org
51600rddn.dnsbl.net.au
31356dynamic.rhs.mailpolice.com
27910whois.rfc-ignorant.org (union of all results)
14925whois.rfc-ignorant.org (result 127.0.0.7 = no whois data at all)
12985whois.rfc-ignorant.org (result 127.0.0.5 = bad whois data)
9137hostkarma.junkemailfilter.com (result 127.0.0.5 = do not blacklist)
3830webmail.rhs.mailpolice.com
3634hostkarma.junkemailfilter.com (result 127.0.0.1 = whitelisted)
2033hostkarma.junkemailfilter.com (result 127.0.0.2 = spam source)
720adv.rhs.mailpolice.com
630rhsbl.ahbl.org
374hostkarma.junkemailfilter.com (result 127.0.2.2 = domain first seen in last 7 days)
304bl.deadbeef.com
246hostkarma.junkemailfilter.com (result 127.0.0.3 = mix of spam and nonspam)
117hostkarma.junkemailfilter.com (result 127.0.1.2 = MTA does not send QUIT)
69postmaster.rfc-ignorant.org
56multi.surbl.org
54bogusmx.rfc-ignorant.org
47dsn.rfc-ignorant.org (zone not intended for this use)
46rhsbl.sorbs.net (result 127.0.0.11 = domain uses bad address space)
46rhsbl.sorbs.net (union of all results)
38multi.uribl.com (result 127.0.0.2 = spam resource)
38multi.uribl.com (union of all results)
25hostkarma.junkemailfilter.com (result 127.0.2.1 = domain first seen today)
19bulk.rhs.mailpolice.com
15dob.sibl.support-intelligence.net
7porn.rhs.mailpolice.com

Survey results for all known public domain-name-based DNS blacklists. Lookups were done on SMTP sender domains. The "union of most domain zones" line includes data from the hostkarma.junkemailfilter.com zone only when the results are 127.0.0.2, 127.0.0.3, or 127.0.0.4 because other results are not blacklists.

HitsDNS Zone
83242(total number of domains tested, including 182 at SDSC)
61365hostkarma.junkemailfilter.com (result 127.0.2.3 = domain first seen more than 7 days ago)
18732(union of most domain zones)
8170whois.rfc-ignorant.org (union of all results)
8104hostkarma.junkemailfilter.com (result 127.0.1.1 = MTA sends QUIT)
7590whois.rfc-ignorant.org (result 127.0.0.7 = no whois data at all)
6364hostkarma.junkemailfilter.com (result 127.0.0.5 = do not blacklist)
4679hostkarma.junkemailfilter.com (result 127.0.2.2 = domain first seen in last 7 days)
4129abuse.rfc-ignorant.org
3646bogusmx.rfc-ignorant.org
2914hostkarma.junkemailfilter.com (result 127.0.0.1 = whitelisted)
2318postmaster.rfc-ignorant.org
2122hostkarma.junkemailfilter.com (result 127.0.0.2 = spam source)
2086l1.apews.org
1359webmail.rhs.mailpolice.com
1195multi.surbl.org
1146multi.uribl.com (union of all results)
1114multi.uribl.com (result 127.0.0.2 = spam resource)
1084hostkarma.junkemailfilter.com (result 127.0.0.3 = mix of spam and nonspam)
580whois.rfc-ignorant.org (result 127.0.0.5 = bad whois data)
509dsn.rfc-ignorant.org
337porn.rhs.mailpolice.com
337adv.rhs.mailpolice.com
235rddn.dnsbl.net.au (zone not intended for this use)
219bulk.rhs.mailpolice.com
149dynamic.rhs.mailpolice.com
102rhsbl.ahbl.org
49hostkarma.junkemailfilter.com (result 127.0.1.2 = MTA does not send QUIT)
36hostkarma.junkemailfilter.com (result 127.0.2.1 = domain first seen today)
31rhsbl.sorbs.net (result 127.0.0.11 = domain uses bad address space)
31rhsbl.sorbs.net (union of all results)
30multi.uribl.com (result 127.0.0.4 = opt-out spam resource)
12ex.dnsbl.org
6fraud.rhs.mailpolice.com
6dob.sibl.support-intelligence.net
2multi.uribl.com (result 127.0.0.8 = new domain or concealed contact)
2bl.deadbeef.com
1hostkarma.junkemailfilter.com (result 127.0.1.3 = MTA somtimes sends QUIT)

This document was last updated by Jeff Makey <jeff@sdsc.edu> on 12 June 2009.