Blacklists Compared

3 July 2010

[ 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, iadb2.isipp.com, and wl.mailspike.net 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
199595(total number of IP addresses tested, including 183 at SDSC)
196320(union of most IP zones)
183603b.barracudacentral.org
183455zen.spamhaus.org (union of all results)
167793l2.apews.org
150966zen.spamhaus.org (result 127.0.0.4 = Composite Blocking List)
150961cbl.abuseat.org
136990psbl.surriel.com
136639dnsbl-1.uceprotect.net
134124dnsbl-2.uceprotect.net
132121dnsbl-3.uceprotect.net
130536bl.spameatingmonkey.net
128926hostkarma.junkemailfilter.com (result 127.0.0.2 = spam source)
127092bl.mailspike.net (union of all results)
114070zen.spamhaus.org (result 127.0.0.11 = Spamhaus PBL, Spamhaus entry)
107241bl.mailspike.net (result 127.0.0.10 = worst possible reputation)
94476dnsbl.sorbs.net (union of all results)
73434bl.tiopan.com
72411hostkarma.junkemailfilter.com (result 127.0.1.1 = MTA sends QUIT)
68971spam.dnsbl.sorbs.net
57560blackholes.five-ten-sg.com (union of all results)
57364dnsbl.sorbs.net (result 127.0.0.7 = hacked/vulnerable)
49630bl.mailspike.net (result 127.0.0.2 = distributed spam wave participant)
47935blackholes.five-ten-sg.com (result 127.0.0.2 = spam source)
47494dnsbl.sorbs.net (result 127.0.0.10 = dialup)
42903bl.spamcop.net
40189bl.score.senderscore.com
40056db.wpbl.info
34173zen.spamhaus.org (result 127.0.0.10 = Spamhaus PBL, ISP contributed)
32990ubl.unsubscore.com
26695ix.dnsbl.manitu.net
24990no-more-funn.moensted.dk (union of all results)
18972mail-abuse.blacklist.jippg.org
18197no-more-funn.moensted.dk (result 127.0.0.3 = dialup)
16914dnsbl.inps.de
10938hostkarma.junkemailfilter.com (result 127.0.1.2 = MTA does not send QUIT)
8830bl.mailspike.net (result 127.0.0.12 = bad reputation)
8371blackholes.five-ten-sg.com (result 127.0.0.9 = misc)
7757bl.mailspike.net (result 127.0.0.11 = very bad reputation)
6662dnsbl.ahbl.org (union of all results)
6468no-more-funn.moensted.dk (result 127.0.0.2 = spam source)
5758dnsbl.sorbs.net (result 127.0.0.6 = spam source)
5208bl.spamcannibal.org
5153korea.services.net
4993dnsbl.ahbl.org (result 127.0.0.4 = spam source)
4453spamsources.fabel.dk
4164list.dnswl.org (not a blacklist!)
3157ips.backscatterer.org
3040hostkarma.junkemailfilter.com (result 127.0.0.1 = whitelisted)
1936dnsbl.njabl.org (union of all results)
1929hostkarma.junkemailfilter.com (result 127.0.0.3 = mix of spam and nonspam)
1753dnsbl.njabl.org (result 127.0.0.9 = open proxy)
1604dnsbl.ahbl.org (result 127.0.0.3 = open proxy)
1520tr.countries.nerd.dk
1393wl.mailspike.net (union of all results) (not a blacklist!)
1223blackholes.five-ten-sg.com (result 127.0.0.4 = unconfirmed opt-in)
1213hostkarma.junkemailfilter.com (result 127.0.0.5 = do not blacklist)
1103wl.mailspike.net (result 127.0.0.17 = possible legitimate sender) (not a blacklist!)
548accredit.habeas.com (not a blacklist!)
455query.bondedsender.org (not a blacklist!)
425zen.spamhaus.org (union of SBL and SBLCSS results)
418zen.spamhaus.org (result 127.0.0.2 = Spamhaus SBL)
416aspews.ext.sorbs.net
346no-more-funn.moensted.dk (result 127.0.0.10 = open proxy)
241wl.mailspike.net (result 127.0.0.18 = good reputation) (not a blacklist!)
204l2.bbfh.ext.sorbs.net
163tor.dnsbl.sectoor.de (union of all results)
161tor.dnsbl.sectoor.de (result 127.0.0.2 = /24 contains a Tor server)
115no-more-funn.moensted.dk (result 127.0.0.7 = spam haven)
112iadb2.isipp.com (not a blacklist!)
93l1.bbfh.ext.sorbs.net
92dnsbl.njabl.org (result 127.0.0.2 = open relay)
91dnsbl.njabl.org (result 127.0.0.4 = spam source)
88hostkarma.junkemailfilter.com (result 127.0.0.4 = spam source aspirant)
84iadb.isipp.com (not a blacklist!)
66no-more-funn.moensted.dk (result 127.0.0.9 = misc)
65dnsbl.ahbl.org (result 127.0.0.10 = shoot on sight spammer)
49wl.mailspike.net (result 127.0.0.19 = very good reputation) (not a blacklist!)
47bl.deadbeef.com
31blackholes.five-ten-sg.com (result 127.0.0.12 = spam-friendly freemail provider)
28spamguard.leadmon.net (union of all results)
26spamguard.leadmon.net (result 127.0.0.9 = abused DNS server)
12zen.spamhaus.org (result 127.0.0.5 = time-expired NJABL open proxy)
8multi.uribl.com (result 127.0.0.2 = spam resource)
8multi.uribl.com (union of all results)
7zen.spamhaus.org (result 127.0.0.3 = Spamhaus SBLCSS)
5dnsbl-0.uceprotect.net
5multi.surbl.org
5dnsbl.sorbs.net (result 127.0.0.9 = zombie network)
3hostkarma.junkemailfilter.com (result 127.0.2.3 = domain first seen more than 7 days ago)
2tor.dnsbl.sectoor.de (result 127.0.0.1 = Tor server)
1spamguard.leadmon.net (result 127.0.0.7 = spam source netblock)
1spamguard.leadmon.net (result 127.0.0.8 = 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
199595(total number of IP addresses whose names were tested, including 183 at SDSC)
122179hostkarma.junkemailfilter.com (result 127.0.2.3 = domain first seen more than 7 days ago)
110933hostkarma.junkemailfilter.com (result 127.0.1.1 = MTA sends QUIT)
96503(union of most domain zones)
86795l1.apews.org
80834abuse.rfc-ignorant.org
36423whois.rfc-ignorant.org (union of all results)
26858whois.rfc-ignorant.org (result 127.0.0.7 = no whois data at all)
13226hostkarma.junkemailfilter.com (result 127.0.0.5 = do not blacklist)
9565whois.rfc-ignorant.org (result 127.0.0.5 = bad whois data)
3415hostkarma.junkemailfilter.com (result 127.0.0.1 = whitelisted)
3029hostkarma.junkemailfilter.com (result 127.0.1.4 = no verify host)
499hostkarma.junkemailfilter.com (result 127.0.0.2 = spam source)
372urired.spameatingmonkey.net
335hostkarma.junkemailfilter.com (result 127.0.0.3 = mix of spam and nonspam)
263dbl.spamhaus.org
102hostkarma.junkemailfilter.com (result 127.0.1.2 = MTA does not send QUIT)
74hostkarma.junkemailfilter.com (result 127.0.2.2 = domain first seen in last 7 days)
68rhsbl.sorbs.net (result 127.0.0.11 = domain uses bad address space)
68rhsbl.sorbs.net (union of all results)
63postmaster.rfc-ignorant.org
51rhsbl.ahbl.org
36dsn.rfc-ignorant.org (zone not intended for this use)
29bogusmx.rfc-ignorant.org
27fresh.spameatingmonkey.net
23dob.sibl.support-intelligence.net
21multi.uribl.com (result 127.0.0.2 = spam resource)
21multi.uribl.com (union of all results)
16multi.surbl.org
2hostkarma.junkemailfilter.com (result 127.0.2.1 = domain first seen today)
1bl.deadbeef.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
65783(total number of domains tested, including 156 at SDSC)
63487hostkarma.junkemailfilter.com (result 127.0.2.3 = domain first seen more than 7 days ago)
9478(union of most domain zones)
5745hostkarma.junkemailfilter.com (result 127.0.1.1 = MTA sends QUIT)
3233urired.spameatingmonkey.net
2779hostkarma.junkemailfilter.com (result 127.0.0.5 = do not blacklist)
2504abuse.rfc-ignorant.org
2210whois.rfc-ignorant.org (union of all results)
1969whois.rfc-ignorant.org (result 127.0.0.7 = no whois data at all)
1917hostkarma.junkemailfilter.com (result 127.0.0.1 = whitelisted)
1616postmaster.rfc-ignorant.org
1283hostkarma.junkemailfilter.com (result 127.0.0.2 = spam source)
1110dbl.spamhaus.org
1099multi.surbl.org
1049l1.apews.org
804bogusmx.rfc-ignorant.org
606multi.uribl.com (union of all results)
596multi.uribl.com (result 127.0.0.2 = spam resource)
423hostkarma.junkemailfilter.com (result 127.0.0.3 = mix of spam and nonspam)
304dsn.rfc-ignorant.org
241whois.rfc-ignorant.org (result 127.0.0.5 = bad whois data)
64hostkarma.junkemailfilter.com (result 127.0.2.2 = domain first seen in last 7 days)
21hostkarma.junkemailfilter.com (result 127.0.1.4 = no verify host)
20rhsbl.sorbs.net (result 127.0.0.11 = domain uses bad address space)
20rhsbl.sorbs.net (union of all results)
17hostkarma.junkemailfilter.com (result 127.0.1.2 = MTA does not send QUIT)
14hostkarma.junkemailfilter.com (result 127.0.2.1 = domain first seen today)
13ex.dnsbl.org
13rhsbl.ahbl.org
10multi.uribl.com (result 127.0.0.4 = opt-out spam resource)
2fresh.spameatingmonkey.net
2dob.sibl.support-intelligence.net
1bl.deadbeef.com

This document was last updated by Jeff Makey <jeff@sdsc.edu> on 8 July 2010.