Blacklists Compared

1 September 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
40703(total number of IP addresses tested, including 159 at SDSC)
37185(union of most IP zones)
28930ip.v4bl.org
28917l2.apews.org
27803zen.spamhaus.org (union of all results)
27636b.barracudacentral.org
26065zen.spamhaus.org (result 127.0.0.4 = Composite Blocking List)
26063cbl.abuseat.org
25588bl.tiopan.com
20976bl.mailspike.net (union of all results)
20943hostkarma.junkemailfilter.com (result 127.0.0.2 = spam source)
19988hostkarma.junkemailfilter.com (result 127.0.1.1 = MTA sends QUIT)
18400dnsbl-1.uceprotect.net
18217zen.spamhaus.org (result 127.0.0.11 = Spamhaus PBL, Spamhaus entry)
17897bl.mailspike.net (result 127.0.0.12 = bad reputation)
14202dnsbl-2.uceprotect.net
13158psbl.surriel.com
12929dnsbl-3.uceprotect.net
12664all.spamrats.com (union of all results)
11591bl.spameatingmonkey.net
10163spam.dnsbl.sorbs.net
9866wl.mailspike.net (union of all results) (not a blacklist!)
8643dnsbl.sorbs.net (union of all results)
7782ubl.unsubscore.com
6348dnsbl.inps.de
6322list.dnswl.org (not a blacklist!)
6301all.spamrats.com (result 127.0.0.36 = dialup)
6073all.spamrats.com (result 127.0.0.37 = no reverse DNS entry)
6029wl.mailspike.net (result 127.0.0.18 = good reputation) (not a blacklist!)
5925truncate.gbudb.net
5045dnsbl.sorbs.net (result 127.0.0.7 = hacked/vulnerable)
4423db.wpbl.info
4308all.s5h.net
3987dnsbl.sorbs.net (result 127.0.0.10 = dialup)
3423bl.spamcop.net
3000hostkarma.junkemailfilter.com (result 127.0.0.1 = whitelisted)
2896zen.spamhaus.org (result 127.0.0.10 = Spamhaus PBL, ISP contributed)
2746wl.mailspike.net (result 127.0.0.17 = possible legitimate sender) (not a blacklist!)
2693hostkarma.junkemailfilter.com (result 127.0.0.3 = mix of spam and nonspam)
2583bl.score.senderscore.com
2392bl.mailspike.net (result 127.0.0.11 = very bad reputation)
2174bl.mailspike.net (result 127.0.0.2 = distributed spam wave participant)
1963ips.backscatterer.org
1932ix.dnsbl.manitu.net
1676hostkarma.junkemailfilter.com (result 127.0.1.2 = MTA does not send QUIT)
1612hostkarma.junkemailfilter.com (result 127.0.0.5 = do not blacklist)
1183zen.spamhaus.org (union of SBL and SBLCSS results)
1053mail-abuse.blacklist.jippg.org
962bl.spamcannibal.org
914spamsources.fabel.dk
813tr.countries.nerd.dk
759accredit.habeas.com (not a blacklist!)
720zen.spamhaus.org (result 127.0.0.3 = Spamhaus SBLCSS)
713wl.mailspike.net (result 127.0.0.19 = very good reputation) (not a blacklist!)
676korea.services.net
646query.bondedsender.org (not a blacklist!)
463zen.spamhaus.org (result 127.0.0.2 = Spamhaus SBL)
380wl.mailspike.net (result 127.0.0.20 = excellent reputation) (not a blacklist!)
363all.spamrats.com (result 127.0.0.38 = spam source)
291bl.mailspike.net (result 127.0.0.10 = worst possible reputation)
290l2.bbfh.ext.sorbs.net
264aspews.ext.sorbs.net
221dnsbl.njabl.org (union of all results)
211iadb.isipp.com (not a blacklist!)
190dnsbl.njabl.org (result 127.0.0.9 = open proxy)
171hostkarma.junkemailfilter.com (result 127.0.0.4 = spam source aspirant)
149dnsbl.ahbl.org (union of all results)
96dnsbl.ahbl.org (result 127.0.0.4 = spam source)
53iadb2.isipp.com (not a blacklist!)
51dnsbl.sorbs.net (result 127.0.0.3 = open socks proxy)
51dnsbl.sorbs.net (result 127.0.0.4 = open proxy)
51dnsbl.sorbs.net (result 127.0.0.2 = open http proxy)
44dnsbl.sorbs.net (result 127.0.0.6 = spam source)
30dnsbl.ahbl.org (result 127.0.0.3 = open proxy)
23tor.dnsbl.sectoor.de (result 127.0.0.2 = /24 contains a Tor server)
23dnsbl.ahbl.org (result 127.0.0.10 = shoot on sight spammer)
23tor.dnsbl.sectoor.de (union of all results)
18dnsbl.njabl.org (result 127.0.0.2 = open relay)
13dnsbl.njabl.org (result 127.0.0.4 = spam source)
12hostkarma.junkemailfilter.com (result 127.0.2.3 = domain first seen more than 7 days ago)
4dnsbl.sorbs.net (result 127.0.0.9 = zombie network)
3dnsbl-0.uceprotect.net
2swl.spamhaus.org (union of all results) (not a blacklist!)
1multi.uribl.com (result 127.0.0.2 = spam resource)
1swl.spamhaus.org (result 127.0.2.103 = sends transactions - temporary listing) (not a blacklist!)
1swl.spamhaus.org (result 127.0.2.2 = sends individual mail) (not a blacklist!)
1multi.surbl.org
1spamguard.leadmon.net (result 127.0.0.9 = abused DNS server)
1multi.uribl.com (union of all results)
1spamguard.leadmon.net (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
40703(total number of IP addresses whose names were tested, including 159 at SDSC)
20438hostkarma.junkemailfilter.com (result 127.0.2.3 = domain first seen more than 7 days ago)
16890hostkarma.junkemailfilter.com (result 127.0.1.1 = MTA sends QUIT)
11504(union of most domain zones)
9143abuse.rfc-ignorant.org
7141l1.apews.org
4198whois.rfc-ignorant.org (union of all results)
3488whois.rfc-ignorant.org (result 127.0.0.7 = no whois data at all)
2855hostkarma.junkemailfilter.com (result 127.0.0.1 = whitelisted)
2333hostkarma.junkemailfilter.com (result 127.0.0.5 = do not blacklist)
710whois.rfc-ignorant.org (result 127.0.0.5 = bad whois data)
468dbl.spamhaus.org (result 127.0.1.2 = spam source)
468dbl.spamhaus.org (union of all results)
446hostkarma.junkemailfilter.com (result 127.0.0.2 = spam source)
236hostkarma.junkemailfilter.com (result 127.0.1.4 = no verify host)
183hostkarma.junkemailfilter.com (result 127.0.0.3 = mix of spam and nonspam)
126hostkarma.junkemailfilter.com (result 127.0.2.2 = domain first seen in last 7 days)
74bogusmx.rfc-ignorant.org
58urired.spameatingmonkey.net
54hostkarma.junkemailfilter.com (result 127.0.1.2 = MTA does not send QUIT)
47rhsbl.ahbl.org
41postmaster.rfc-ignorant.org
29multi.surbl.org
24fresh.spameatingmonkey.net
22multi.uribl.com (result 127.0.0.2 = spam resource)
22multi.uribl.com (union of all results)
20dob.sibl.support-intelligence.net
12hostkarma.junkemailfilter.com (result 127.0.2.1 = domain first seen today)
5dsn.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
27387(total number of domains tested, including 102 at SDSC)
24500hostkarma.junkemailfilter.com (result 127.0.2.3 = domain first seen more than 7 days ago)
8023(union of most domain zones)
3987hostkarma.junkemailfilter.com (result 127.0.1.1 = MTA sends QUIT)
3303whois.rfc-ignorant.org (union of all results)
3159whois.rfc-ignorant.org (result 127.0.0.7 = no whois data at all)
2701hostkarma.junkemailfilter.com (result 127.0.0.2 = spam source)
2311dbl.spamhaus.org (result 127.0.1.2 = spam source)
2311dbl.spamhaus.org (union of all results)
2094hostkarma.junkemailfilter.com (result 127.0.0.1 = whitelisted)
1912hostkarma.junkemailfilter.com (result 127.0.0.5 = do not blacklist)
1558multi.surbl.org
1428abuse.rfc-ignorant.org
1157multi.uribl.com (union of all results)
1143multi.uribl.com (result 127.0.0.2 = spam resource)
1141hostkarma.junkemailfilter.com (result 127.0.2.2 = domain first seen in last 7 days)
701postmaster.rfc-ignorant.org
563l1.apews.org
451urired.spameatingmonkey.net
371bogusmx.rfc-ignorant.org
334fresh.spameatingmonkey.net
292dob.sibl.support-intelligence.net
280hostkarma.junkemailfilter.com (result 127.0.0.3 = mix of spam and nonspam)
188dsn.rfc-ignorant.org
144whois.rfc-ignorant.org (result 127.0.0.5 = bad whois data)
21hostkarma.junkemailfilter.com (result 127.0.1.4 = no verify host)
19hostkarma.junkemailfilter.com (result 127.0.1.2 = MTA does not send QUIT)
14multi.uribl.com (result 127.0.0.4 = opt-out spam resource)
14rhsbl.ahbl.org
9hostkarma.junkemailfilter.com (result 127.0.2.1 = domain first seen today)
8ex.dnsbl.org
3hostkarma.junkemailfilter.com (result 127.0.1.3 = MTA somtimes sends QUIT)
This document was last updated by Jeff Makey <jeff@sdsc.edu> on 3 September 2012.