Blacklists Compared

10 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
213475(total number of IP addresses tested, including 180 at SDSC)
210628(union of most IP zones)
198491zen.spamhaus.org (union of all results)
190384b.barracudacentral.org
178000l2.apews.org
164974cbl.abuseat.org
164898zen.spamhaus.org (result 127.0.0.4 = Composite Blocking List)
147296hostkarma.junkemailfilter.com (result 127.0.0.2 = spam source)
145124psbl.surriel.com
144983dnsbl-2.uceprotect.net
142474bl.spameatingmonkey.net
142145dnsbl-1.uceprotect.net
141377dnsbl-3.uceprotect.net
132703bl.mailspike.net (union of all results)
123183zen.spamhaus.org (result 127.0.0.11 = Spamhaus PBL, Spamhaus entry)
103183dnsbl.sorbs.net (union of all results)
96521bl.mailspike.net (result 127.0.0.10 = worst possible reputation)
88789hostkarma.junkemailfilter.com (result 127.0.1.1 = MTA sends QUIT)
79231bl.tiopan.com
74241spam.dnsbl.sorbs.net
64832bl.mailspike.net (result 127.0.0.2 = distributed spam wave participant)
61475dnsbl.sorbs.net (result 127.0.0.7 = hacked/vulnerable)
59964blackholes.five-ten-sg.com (union of all results)
59109ubl.unsubscore.com
52966dnsbl.sorbs.net (result 127.0.0.10 = dialup)
50606bl.spamcop.net
50058blackholes.five-ten-sg.com (result 127.0.0.2 = spam source)
44137db.wpbl.info
42122bl.score.senderscore.com
37575zen.spamhaus.org (result 127.0.0.10 = Spamhaus PBL, ISP contributed)
28228ix.dnsbl.manitu.net
26818no-more-funn.moensted.dk (union of all results)
21051mail-abuse.blacklist.jippg.org
19970no-more-funn.moensted.dk (result 127.0.0.3 = dialup)
18855dnsbl.inps.de
16980bl.mailspike.net (result 127.0.0.11 = very bad reputation)
11709hostkarma.junkemailfilter.com (result 127.0.1.2 = MTA does not send QUIT)
8767blackholes.five-ten-sg.com (result 127.0.0.9 = misc)
8531bl.mailspike.net (result 127.0.0.12 = bad reputation)
7217dnsbl.ahbl.org (union of all results)
7119dnsbl.sorbs.net (result 127.0.0.6 = spam source)
6503no-more-funn.moensted.dk (result 127.0.0.2 = spam source)
5530korea.services.net
5387bl.spamcannibal.org
5225dnsbl.ahbl.org (result 127.0.0.4 = spam source)
4518spamsources.fabel.dk
3895list.dnswl.org (not a blacklist!)
3193ips.backscatterer.org
3129hostkarma.junkemailfilter.com (result 127.0.0.1 = whitelisted)
1993dnsbl.njabl.org (union of all results)
1985hostkarma.junkemailfilter.com (result 127.0.0.3 = mix of spam and nonspam)
1918dnsbl.ahbl.org (result 127.0.0.3 = open proxy)
1823dnsbl.njabl.org (result 127.0.0.9 = open proxy)
1655tr.countries.nerd.dk
1548wl.mailspike.net (union of all results) (not a blacklist!)
1287wl.mailspike.net (result 127.0.0.17 = possible legitimate sender) (not a blacklist!)
1113blackholes.five-ten-sg.com (result 127.0.0.4 = unconfirmed opt-in)
1093hostkarma.junkemailfilter.com (result 127.0.0.5 = do not blacklist)
467accredit.habeas.com (not a blacklist!)
416aspews.ext.sorbs.net
396zen.spamhaus.org (union of SBL and SBLCSS results)
391zen.spamhaus.org (result 127.0.0.2 = Spamhaus SBL)
376query.bondedsender.org (not a blacklist!)
330no-more-funn.moensted.dk (result 127.0.0.10 = open proxy)
219wl.mailspike.net (result 127.0.0.18 = good reputation) (not a blacklist!)
183tor.dnsbl.sectoor.de (union of all results)
182tor.dnsbl.sectoor.de (result 127.0.0.2 = /24 contains a Tor server)
180l2.bbfh.ext.sorbs.net
133no-more-funn.moensted.dk (result 127.0.0.7 = spam haven)
102iadb2.isipp.com (not a blacklist!)
99hostkarma.junkemailfilter.com (result 127.0.0.4 = spam source aspirant)
93dnsbl.njabl.org (result 127.0.0.2 = open relay)
82l1.bbfh.ext.sorbs.net
77dnsbl.njabl.org (result 127.0.0.4 = spam source)
74dnsbl.ahbl.org (result 127.0.0.10 = shoot on sight spammer)
73no-more-funn.moensted.dk (result 127.0.0.9 = misc)
70iadb.isipp.com (not a blacklist!)
56bl.deadbeef.com
42wl.mailspike.net (result 127.0.0.19 = very good reputation) (not a blacklist!)
33spamguard.leadmon.net (union of all results)
30spamguard.leadmon.net (result 127.0.0.9 = abused DNS server)
25blackholes.five-ten-sg.com (result 127.0.0.12 = spam-friendly freemail provider)
16zen.spamhaus.org (result 127.0.0.5 = time-expired NJABL open proxy)
10dnsbl-0.uceprotect.net
6multi.surbl.org
5zen.spamhaus.org (result 127.0.0.3 = Spamhaus SBLCSS)
4multi.uribl.com (result 127.0.0.2 = spam resource)
4multi.uribl.com (union of all results)
3dnsbl.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)
2spamguard.leadmon.net (result 127.0.0.8 = open proxy)
1tor.dnsbl.sectoor.de (result 127.0.0.1 = Tor server)
1spamguard.leadmon.net (result 127.0.0.7 = spam source netblock)
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
213475(total number of IP addresses whose names were tested, including 180 at SDSC)
131610hostkarma.junkemailfilter.com (result 127.0.2.3 = domain first seen more than 7 days ago)
118444hostkarma.junkemailfilter.com (result 127.0.1.1 = MTA sends QUIT)
104246(union of most domain zones)
92315l1.apews.org
87351abuse.rfc-ignorant.org
38107whois.rfc-ignorant.org (union of all results)
28182whois.rfc-ignorant.org (result 127.0.0.7 = no whois data at all)
13280hostkarma.junkemailfilter.com (result 127.0.0.5 = do not blacklist)
9925whois.rfc-ignorant.org (result 127.0.0.5 = bad whois data)
3554hostkarma.junkemailfilter.com (result 127.0.1.4 = no verify host)
3552hostkarma.junkemailfilter.com (result 127.0.0.1 = whitelisted)
539hostkarma.junkemailfilter.com (result 127.0.0.2 = spam source)
361urired.spameatingmonkey.net
285hostkarma.junkemailfilter.com (result 127.0.0.3 = mix of spam and nonspam)
254dbl.spamhaus.org
113hostkarma.junkemailfilter.com (result 127.0.1.2 = MTA does not send QUIT)
97hostkarma.junkemailfilter.com (result 127.0.2.2 = domain first seen in last 7 days)
79postmaster.rfc-ignorant.org
70rhsbl.sorbs.net (result 127.0.0.11 = domain uses bad address space)
70rhsbl.sorbs.net (union of all results)
48dsn.rfc-ignorant.org (zone not intended for this use)
41bogusmx.rfc-ignorant.org
38rhsbl.ahbl.org
19multi.uribl.com (result 127.0.0.2 = spam resource)
19fresh.spameatingmonkey.net
19multi.uribl.com (union of all results)
10multi.surbl.org
9hostkarma.junkemailfilter.com (result 127.0.2.1 = domain first seen today)
7dob.sibl.support-intelligence.net
2bl.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
64580(total number of domains tested, including 161 at SDSC)
62151hostkarma.junkemailfilter.com (result 127.0.2.3 = domain first seen more than 7 days ago)
9952(union of most domain zones)
5831hostkarma.junkemailfilter.com (result 127.0.1.1 = MTA sends QUIT)
3417urired.spameatingmonkey.net
2677hostkarma.junkemailfilter.com (result 127.0.0.5 = do not blacklist)
2574abuse.rfc-ignorant.org
2517whois.rfc-ignorant.org (union of all results)
2285whois.rfc-ignorant.org (result 127.0.0.7 = no whois data at all)
2188hostkarma.junkemailfilter.com (result 127.0.0.1 = whitelisted)
1642postmaster.rfc-ignorant.org
1479hostkarma.junkemailfilter.com (result 127.0.0.2 = spam source)
1368dbl.spamhaus.org
1262multi.surbl.org
1062l1.apews.org
789bogusmx.rfc-ignorant.org
737multi.uribl.com (union of all results)
722multi.uribl.com (result 127.0.0.2 = spam resource)
445hostkarma.junkemailfilter.com (result 127.0.0.3 = mix of spam and nonspam)
294dsn.rfc-ignorant.org
232whois.rfc-ignorant.org (result 127.0.0.5 = bad whois data)
30rhsbl.sorbs.net (result 127.0.0.11 = domain uses bad address space)
30rhsbl.sorbs.net (union of all results)
24hostkarma.junkemailfilter.com (result 127.0.1.2 = MTA does not send QUIT)
18hostkarma.junkemailfilter.com (result 127.0.1.4 = no verify host)
13ex.dnsbl.org
13rhsbl.ahbl.org
12multi.uribl.com (result 127.0.0.4 = opt-out spam resource)
3multi.uribl.com (result 127.0.0.8 = new domain or concealed contact)
3hostkarma.junkemailfilter.com (result 127.0.2.1 = domain first seen today)
1fresh.spameatingmonkey.net
1hostkarma.junkemailfilter.com (result 127.0.2.2 = domain first seen in last 7 days)
1hostkarma.junkemailfilter.com (result 127.0.1.3 = MTA somtimes sends QUIT)
1bl.deadbeef.com

This document was last updated by Jeff Makey <jeff@sdsc.edu> on 16 July 2010.