Blacklists Compared

25 July 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
164485(total number of IP addresses tested, including 192 at SDSC)
161035(union of most IP zones)
146446zen.spamhaus.org (union of all results)
142068l2.apews.org
131153b.barracudacentral.org
115760cbl.abuseat.org
115677zen.spamhaus.org (result 127.0.0.4 = Composite Blocking List)
113824hostkarma.junkemailfilter.com (result 127.0.0.2 = spam source)
103934dnsbl.sorbs.net (union of all results)
100365dnsbl-2.uceprotect.net
97683dnsbl-3.uceprotect.net
97450dnsbl-1.uceprotect.net
91083zen.spamhaus.org (result 127.0.0.11 = Spamhaus PBL, Spamhaus entry)
78357dnsbl.sorbs.net (result 127.0.0.7 = hacked/vulnerable)
57540psbl.surriel.com
49856hostkarma.junkemailfilter.com (result 127.0.1.1 = MTA sends QUIT)
42922no-more-funn.moensted.dk (union of all results)
42297blackholes.five-ten-sg.com (union of all results)
38962dnsbl.sorbs.net (result 127.0.0.10 = dialup)
38011blackholes.five-ten-sg.com (result 127.0.0.2 = spam source)
37713bl.spameatingmonkey.net
34776bl.spamcop.net
31668ubl.unsubscore.com
27367no-more-funn.moensted.dk (result 127.0.0.3 = dialup)
26255db.wpbl.info
25940zen.spamhaus.org (result 127.0.0.10 = Spamhaus PBL, ISP contributed)
18715ix.dnsbl.manitu.net
16584spam.dnsbl.sorbs.net
14833mail-abuse.blacklist.jippg.org
13744no-more-funn.moensted.dk (result 127.0.0.2 = spam source)
13584hostkarma.junkemailfilter.com (result 127.0.1.2 = MTA does not send QUIT)
12256korea.services.net
10307dnsbl.inps.de
8130bl.spamcannibal.org
6423tr.countries.nerd.dk
5582spamsources.fabel.dk
5371ips.backscatterer.org
3682list.dnswl.org (not a blacklist!)
3195hostkarma.junkemailfilter.com (result 127.0.0.1 = whitelisted)
3195blackholes.five-ten-sg.com (result 127.0.0.9 = misc)
2583dnsbl.njabl.org (union of all results)
2206dnsbl.njabl.org (result 127.0.0.9 = open proxy)
1849hostkarma.junkemailfilter.com (result 127.0.0.3 = mix of spam and nonspam)
1515hostkarma.junkemailfilter.com (result 127.0.0.5 = do not blacklist)
1196hostkarma.junkemailfilter.com (result 127.0.0.4 = spam source aspirant)
1067blackholes.five-ten-sg.com (result 127.0.0.4 = unconfirmed opt-in)
1037no-more-funn.moensted.dk (result 127.0.0.10 = open proxy)
899aspews.ext.sorbs.net
716l2.bbfh.ext.sorbs.net
702no-more-funn.moensted.dk (result 127.0.0.9 = misc)
488accredit.habeas.com (not a blacklist!)
389dnsbl.sorbs.net (result 127.0.0.6 = spam source)
389query.bondedsender.org (not a blacklist!)
294l1.bbfh.ext.sorbs.net
248zen.spamhaus.org (result 127.0.0.2 = Spamhaus SBL)
239dnsbl.njabl.org (result 127.0.0.4 = spam source)
165dnsbl.ahbl.org (union of all results)
153iadb2.isipp.com (not a blacklist!)
138dnsbl.njabl.org (result 127.0.0.2 = open relay)
129dnsbl.ahbl.org (result 127.0.0.3 = open proxy)
116no-more-funn.moensted.dk (result 127.0.0.7 = spam haven)
114tor.dnsbl.sectoor.de (union of all results)
113tor.dnsbl.sectoor.de (result 127.0.0.2 = /24 contains a Tor server)
111iadb.isipp.com (not a blacklist!)
71bl.deadbeef.com
49dnsbl.sorbs.net (result 127.0.0.3 = open socks proxy)
36dnsbl.ahbl.org (result 127.0.0.4 = spam source)
35dnsbl.sorbs.net (result 127.0.0.2 = open http proxy)
24zen.spamhaus.org (result 127.0.0.5 = time-expired NJABL open proxy)
23blackholes.five-ten-sg.com (result 127.0.0.12 = spam-friendly freemail provider)
13spamguard.leadmon.net (union of all results)
9spamguard.leadmon.net (result 127.0.0.7 = spam source netblock)
7hostkarma.junkemailfilter.com (result 127.0.2.3 = domain first seen more than 7 days ago)
7multi.uribl.com (union of all results)
6multi.surbl.org
5multi.uribl.com (result 127.0.0.2 = spam resource)
5blackholes.brainerd.net
4dnsbl.sorbs.net (result 127.0.0.4 = open proxy)
3spamguard.leadmon.net (result 127.0.0.8 = open proxy)
2multi.uribl.com (result 127.0.0.8 = new domain or concealed contact)
2dnsbl-0.uceprotect.net
2dnsbl.sorbs.net (result 127.0.0.9 = zombie network)
2dnsbl.sorbs.net (result 127.0.0.5 = open relay)
1tor.dnsbl.sectoor.de (result 127.0.0.1 = Tor server)
1spamguard.leadmon.net (result 127.0.0.3 = spam source)
1blackholes.five-ten-sg.com (result 127.0.0.11 = TCPA violator)

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
164485(total number of IP addresses whose names were tested, including 192 at SDSC)
96668hostkarma.junkemailfilter.com (result 127.0.2.3 = domain first seen more than 7 days ago)
87614hostkarma.junkemailfilter.com (result 127.0.1.1 = MTA sends QUIT)
79910(union of most domain zones)
71091l1.apews.org
64337abuse.rfc-ignorant.org
31880dynamic.rhs.mailpolice.com
26660whois.rfc-ignorant.org (union of all results)
15642whois.rfc-ignorant.org (result 127.0.0.7 = no whois data at all)
11018whois.rfc-ignorant.org (result 127.0.0.5 = bad whois data)
8742hostkarma.junkemailfilter.com (result 127.0.0.5 = do not blacklist)
3975webmail.rhs.mailpolice.com
3544hostkarma.junkemailfilter.com (result 127.0.0.1 = whitelisted)
1839urired.spameatingmonkey.net
938hostkarma.junkemailfilter.com (result 127.0.0.2 = spam source)
782adv.rhs.mailpolice.com
768rhsbl.ahbl.org
325hostkarma.junkemailfilter.com (result 127.0.2.2 = domain first seen in last 7 days)
312hostkarma.junkemailfilter.com (result 127.0.0.3 = mix of spam and nonspam)
195hostkarma.junkemailfilter.com (result 127.0.1.2 = MTA does not send QUIT)
144multi.surbl.org
127multi.uribl.com (union of all results)
126multi.uribl.com (result 127.0.0.2 = spam resource)
80rhsbl.sorbs.net (result 127.0.0.11 = domain uses bad address space)
80rhsbl.sorbs.net (union of all results)
73postmaster.rfc-ignorant.org
50bogusmx.rfc-ignorant.org
47dsn.rfc-ignorant.org (zone not intended for this use)
41hostkarma.junkemailfilter.com (result 127.0.2.1 = domain first seen today)
34bulk.rhs.mailpolice.com
27fresh.spameatingmonkey.net
23dob.sibl.support-intelligence.net
21bl.deadbeef.com
7porn.rhs.mailpolice.com
1multi.uribl.com (result 127.0.0.8 = new domain or concealed contact)

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
59424(total number of domains tested, including 159 at SDSC)
51270hostkarma.junkemailfilter.com (result 127.0.2.3 = domain first seen more than 7 days ago)
16730(union of most domain zones)
8820hostkarma.junkemailfilter.com (result 127.0.1.1 = MTA sends QUIT)
7118whois.rfc-ignorant.org (union of all results)
6293whois.rfc-ignorant.org (result 127.0.0.7 = no whois data at all)
5926hostkarma.junkemailfilter.com (result 127.0.0.5 = do not blacklist)
4967abuse.rfc-ignorant.org
3091l1.apews.org
2923hostkarma.junkemailfilter.com (result 127.0.0.1 = whitelisted)
2048urired.spameatingmonkey.net
2012hostkarma.junkemailfilter.com (result 127.0.0.2 = spam source)
1821hostkarma.junkemailfilter.com (result 127.0.2.2 = domain first seen in last 7 days)
1539postmaster.rfc-ignorant.org
1529bogusmx.rfc-ignorant.org
1377multi.surbl.org
1257multi.uribl.com (union of all results)
1239multi.uribl.com (result 127.0.0.2 = spam resource)
1137webmail.rhs.mailpolice.com
825whois.rfc-ignorant.org (result 127.0.0.5 = bad whois data)
732hostkarma.junkemailfilter.com (result 127.0.0.3 = mix of spam and nonspam)
510dsn.rfc-ignorant.org
424dynamic.rhs.mailpolice.com
330adv.rhs.mailpolice.com
196porn.rhs.mailpolice.com
129hostkarma.junkemailfilter.com (result 127.0.2.1 = domain first seen today)
126rhsbl.ahbl.org
94bulk.rhs.mailpolice.com
51hostkarma.junkemailfilter.com (result 127.0.1.2 = MTA does not send QUIT)
30rhsbl.sorbs.net (result 127.0.0.11 = domain uses bad address space)
30rhsbl.sorbs.net (union of all results)
17ex.dnsbl.org
15multi.uribl.com (result 127.0.0.4 = opt-out spam resource)
15fresh.spameatingmonkey.net
10dob.sibl.support-intelligence.net
4bl.deadbeef.com
3multi.uribl.com (result 127.0.0.8 = new domain or concealed contact)
3fraud.rhs.mailpolice.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 30 July 2009.