Blacklists Compared

4 August 2012

[ 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, swl.spamhaus.org, and wl.mailspike.net zones because they are not blacklists. Because they are too aggressive to be widely useful the spam.dnsbl.sorbs.net and l2.apews.org zones are also excluded from the union.

HitsDNS Zone
51003(total number of IP addresses tested, including 164 at SDSC)
47422(union of most IP zones)
39528l2.apews.org
39520b.barracudacentral.org
38745zen.spamhaus.org (union of all results)
38177ip.v4bl.org
37348cbl.abuseat.org
37346zen.spamhaus.org (result 127.0.0.4 = Composite Blocking List)
34802bl.tiopan.com
31127bl.mailspike.net (union of all results)
27056zen.spamhaus.org (result 127.0.0.11 = Spamhaus PBL, Spamhaus entry)
26595hostkarma.junkemailfilter.com (result 127.0.0.2 = spam source)
25741dnsbl-1.uceprotect.net
24900bl.mailspike.net (result 127.0.0.12 = bad reputation)
23160hostkarma.junkemailfilter.com (result 127.0.1.1 = MTA sends QUIT)
20917dnsbl-3.uceprotect.net
19944dnsbl-2.uceprotect.net
18538all.spamrats.com (union of all results)
16623bl.spameatingmonkey.net
15932psbl.surriel.com
14323ubl.unsubscore.com
12522dnsbl.sorbs.net (union of all results)
12385spam.dnsbl.sorbs.net
10426all.spamrats.com (result 127.0.0.36 = dialup)
10084truncate.gbudb.net
9235wl.mailspike.net (union of all results) (not a blacklist!)
7850all.spamrats.com (result 127.0.0.37 = no reverse DNS entry)
7707dnsbl.sorbs.net (result 127.0.0.10 = dialup)
6430bl.mailspike.net (result 127.0.0.2 = distributed spam wave participant)
6255list.dnswl.org (not a blacklist!)
6236dnsbl.inps.de
5836wl.mailspike.net (result 127.0.0.18 = good reputation) (not a blacklist!)
5351dnsbl.sorbs.net (result 127.0.0.7 = hacked/vulnerable)
5169db.wpbl.info
4994bl.spamcop.net
4527bl.mailspike.net (result 127.0.0.11 = very bad reputation)
4005zen.spamhaus.org (result 127.0.0.10 = Spamhaus PBL, ISP contributed)
3257ix.dnsbl.manitu.net
2892hostkarma.junkemailfilter.com (result 127.0.0.1 = whitelisted)
2680wl.mailspike.net (result 127.0.0.17 = possible legitimate sender) (not a blacklist!)
2577bl.score.senderscore.com
2482hostkarma.junkemailfilter.com (result 127.0.0.3 = mix of spam and nonspam)
2049ips.backscatterer.org
1353hostkarma.junkemailfilter.com (result 127.0.0.5 = do not blacklist)
1282mail-abuse.blacklist.jippg.org
1216tr.countries.nerd.dk
1059bl.spamcannibal.org
973zen.spamhaus.org (union of SBL and SBLCSS results)
923spamsources.fabel.dk
865hostkarma.junkemailfilter.com (result 127.0.1.2 = MTA does not send QUIT)
701accredit.habeas.com (not a blacklist!)
637bl.mailspike.net (result 127.0.0.10 = worst possible reputation)
572query.bondedsender.org (not a blacklist!)
516zen.spamhaus.org (result 127.0.0.2 = Spamhaus SBL)
494korea.services.net
490wl.mailspike.net (result 127.0.0.19 = very good reputation) (not a blacklist!)
457zen.spamhaus.org (result 127.0.0.3 = Spamhaus SBLCSS)
412all.s5h.net
402all.spamrats.com (result 127.0.0.38 = spam source)
320dnsbl.njabl.org (union of all results)
309l2.bbfh.ext.sorbs.net
294aspews.ext.sorbs.net
276dnsbl.njabl.org (result 127.0.0.9 = open proxy)
242hostkarma.junkemailfilter.com (result 127.0.0.4 = spam source aspirant)
233wl.mailspike.net (result 127.0.0.20 = excellent reputation) (not a blacklist!)
228iadb.isipp.com (not a blacklist!)
179dnsbl.ahbl.org (union of all results)
124dnsbl.ahbl.org (result 127.0.0.4 = spam source)
111iadb2.isipp.com (not a blacklist!)
57dnsbl.sorbs.net (result 127.0.0.3 = open socks proxy)
57dnsbl.sorbs.net (result 127.0.0.4 = open proxy)
57dnsbl.sorbs.net (result 127.0.0.2 = open http proxy)
49dnsbl.sorbs.net (result 127.0.0.6 = spam source)
34dnsbl.ahbl.org (result 127.0.0.3 = open proxy)
29dnsbl.njabl.org (result 127.0.0.2 = open relay)
21dnsbl.ahbl.org (result 127.0.0.10 = shoot on sight spammer)
21tor.dnsbl.sectoor.de (union of all results)
20tor.dnsbl.sectoor.de (result 127.0.0.2 = /24 contains a Tor server)
15dnsbl.njabl.org (result 127.0.0.4 = spam source)
8swl.spamhaus.org (union of all results) (not a blacklist!)
7multi.surbl.org
5dnsbl.sorbs.net (result 127.0.0.9 = zombie network)
5hostkarma.junkemailfilter.com (result 127.0.2.3 = domain first seen more than 7 days ago)
4dnsbl-0.uceprotect.net
4swl.spamhaus.org (result 127.0.2.103 = sends transactions - temporary listing) (not a blacklist!)
4swl.spamhaus.org (result 127.0.2.2 = sends individual mail) (not a blacklist!)
4spamguard.leadmon.net (union of all results)
2spamguard.leadmon.net (result 127.0.0.7 = spam source netblock)
2spamguard.leadmon.net (result 127.0.0.9 = abused DNS server)
1multi.uribl.com (result 127.0.0.2 = spam resource)
1tor.dnsbl.sectoor.de (result 127.0.0.1 = Tor server)
1multi.uribl.com (union of all results)
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
51003(total number of IP addresses whose names were tested, including 164 at SDSC)
27064hostkarma.junkemailfilter.com (result 127.0.2.3 = domain first seen more than 7 days ago)
22586hostkarma.junkemailfilter.com (result 127.0.1.1 = MTA sends QUIT)
17948(union of most domain zones)
15111abuse.rfc-ignorant.org
12369l1.apews.org
7388whois.rfc-ignorant.org (union of all results)
6263whois.rfc-ignorant.org (result 127.0.0.7 = no whois data at all)
3294hostkarma.junkemailfilter.com (result 127.0.0.5 = do not blacklist)
2844hostkarma.junkemailfilter.com (result 127.0.0.1 = whitelisted)
1125whois.rfc-ignorant.org (result 127.0.0.5 = bad whois data)
412hostkarma.junkemailfilter.com (result 127.0.0.2 = spam source)
410dbl.spamhaus.org (result 127.0.1.2 = spam source)
410dbl.spamhaus.org (union of all results)
408hostkarma.junkemailfilter.com (result 127.0.1.4 = no verify host)
348hostkarma.junkemailfilter.com (result 127.0.0.3 = mix of spam and nonspam)
181urired.spameatingmonkey.net
136hostkarma.junkemailfilter.com (result 127.0.2.2 = domain first seen in last 7 days)
47hostkarma.junkemailfilter.com (result 127.0.1.2 = MTA does not send QUIT)
44bogusmx.rfc-ignorant.org
44rhsbl.ahbl.org
41postmaster.rfc-ignorant.org
26multi.surbl.org
20dob.sibl.support-intelligence.net
16multi.uribl.com (result 127.0.0.2 = spam resource)
16multi.uribl.com (union of all results)
7hostkarma.junkemailfilter.com (result 127.0.2.1 = domain first seen today)
3dsn.rfc-ignorant.org (zone not intended for this use)
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
44658(total number of domains tested, including 97 at SDSC)
40938hostkarma.junkemailfilter.com (result 127.0.2.3 = domain first seen more than 7 days ago)
8298(union of most domain zones)
3868hostkarma.junkemailfilter.com (result 127.0.1.1 = MTA sends QUIT)
3620whois.rfc-ignorant.org (union of all results)
3465whois.rfc-ignorant.org (result 127.0.0.7 = no whois data at all)
2180hostkarma.junkemailfilter.com (result 127.0.0.1 = whitelisted)
1975hostkarma.junkemailfilter.com (result 127.0.0.5 = do not blacklist)
1707hostkarma.junkemailfilter.com (result 127.0.2.2 = domain first seen in last 7 days)
1700hostkarma.junkemailfilter.com (result 127.0.0.2 = spam source)
1543dbl.spamhaus.org (result 127.0.1.2 = spam source)
1543dbl.spamhaus.org (union of all results)
1462abuse.rfc-ignorant.org
902bogusmx.rfc-ignorant.org
861multi.surbl.org
852multi.uribl.com (union of all results)
833multi.uribl.com (result 127.0.0.2 = spam resource)
734postmaster.rfc-ignorant.org
542l1.apews.org
411urired.spameatingmonkey.net
239hostkarma.junkemailfilter.com (result 127.0.0.3 = mix of spam and nonspam)
225dsn.rfc-ignorant.org
179dob.sibl.support-intelligence.net
155whois.rfc-ignorant.org (result 127.0.0.5 = bad whois data)
93hostkarma.junkemailfilter.com (result 127.0.2.1 = domain first seen today)
23rhsbl.ahbl.org
17hostkarma.junkemailfilter.com (result 127.0.1.4 = no verify host)
17hostkarma.junkemailfilter.com (result 127.0.1.2 = MTA does not send QUIT)
16multi.uribl.com (result 127.0.0.4 = opt-out spam resource)
7ex.dnsbl.org
4hostkarma.junkemailfilter.com (result 127.0.1.3 = MTA somtimes sends QUIT)
3multi.uribl.com (result 127.0.0.8 = new domain or concealed contact)
This document was last updated by Jeff Makey <jeff@sdsc.edu> on 7 August 2012.