Blacklists Compared

3 November 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, l2.apews.org, and ip.v4bl.org zones are also excluded from the union.

HitsDNS Zone
41274(total number of IP addresses tested, including 155 at SDSC)
37120(union of most IP zones)
29010l2.apews.org
28821b.barracudacentral.org
28453zen.spamhaus.org (union of all results)
27539ip.v4bl.org
27213zen.spamhaus.org (result 127.0.0.4 = Composite Blocking List)
27213cbl.abuseat.org
25792bl.tiopan.com
23069hostkarma.junkemailfilter.com (result 127.0.1.1 = MTA sends QUIT)
22543hostkarma.junkemailfilter.com (result 127.0.0.2 = spam source)
20588bl.mailspike.net (union of all results)
19342dnsbl-1.uceprotect.net
18068zen.spamhaus.org (result 127.0.0.11 = Spamhaus PBL, Spamhaus entry)
17110bl.mailspike.net (result 127.0.0.12 = bad reputation)
15246ubl.unsubscore.com
14889dnsbl-2.uceprotect.net
13938dnsbl-3.uceprotect.net
11996dnsbl.sorbs.net (union of all results)
11739all.spamrats.com (union of all results)
11555psbl.surriel.com
10250bl.spameatingmonkey.net
9999wl.mailspike.net (union of all results) (not a blacklist!)
9273spam.dnsbl.sorbs.net
9189dnsbl.inps.de
8961dnsbl.sorbs.net (result 127.0.0.7 = hacked/vulnerable)
6575list.dnswl.org (not a blacklist!)
6352wl.mailspike.net (result 127.0.0.18 = good reputation) (not a blacklist!)
6204free.v4bl.org
6043all.spamrats.com (result 127.0.0.37 = no reverse DNS entry)
5363db.wpbl.info
5355all.spamrats.com (result 127.0.0.36 = dialup)
5044bl.spamcop.net
4358truncate.gbudb.net
3748dnsbl.sorbs.net (result 127.0.0.10 = dialup)
2923hostkarma.junkemailfilter.com (result 127.0.0.1 = whitelisted)
2899hostkarma.junkemailfilter.com (result 127.0.0.3 = mix of spam and nonspam)
2857bl.mailspike.net (result 127.0.0.11 = very bad reputation)
2763wl.mailspike.net (result 127.0.0.17 = possible legitimate sender) (not a blacklist!)
2661ix.dnsbl.manitu.net
2589bl.score.senderscore.com
2506zen.spamhaus.org (result 127.0.0.10 = Spamhaus PBL, ISP contributed)
2204all.s5h.net
2175ips.backscatterer.org
2104bl.mailspike.net (result 127.0.0.2 = distributed spam wave participant)
1803mail-abuse.blacklist.jippg.org
1684hostkarma.junkemailfilter.com (result 127.0.0.5 = do not blacklist)
1310bl.spamcannibal.org
1290zen.spamhaus.org (union of SBL and SBLCSS results)
1247hostkarma.junkemailfilter.com (result 127.0.1.2 = MTA does not send QUIT)
1027spamsources.fabel.dk
806accredit.habeas.com (not a blacklist!)
757zen.spamhaus.org (result 127.0.0.3 = Spamhaus SBLCSS)
704tr.countries.nerd.dk
660query.bondedsender.org (not a blacklist!)
649wl.mailspike.net (result 127.0.0.19 = very good reputation) (not a blacklist!)
643korea.services.net
533zen.spamhaus.org (result 127.0.0.2 = Spamhaus SBL)
386all.spamrats.com (result 127.0.0.38 = spam source)
310l2.bbfh.ext.sorbs.net
273iadb.isipp.com (not a blacklist!)
266aspews.ext.sorbs.net
235wl.mailspike.net (result 127.0.0.20 = excellent reputation) (not a blacklist!)
198dnsbl.njabl.org (union of all results)
181dnsbl.ahbl.org (union of all results)
171bl.mailspike.net (result 127.0.0.10 = worst possible reputation)
157dnsbl.njabl.org (result 127.0.0.9 = open proxy)
143iadb2.isipp.com (not a blacklist!)
140dnsbl.ahbl.org (result 127.0.0.4 = spam source)
97hostkarma.junkemailfilter.com (result 127.0.0.4 = spam source aspirant)
31tor.dnsbl.sectoor.de (union of all results)
29tor.dnsbl.sectoor.de (result 127.0.0.2 = /24 contains a Tor server)
29dnsbl.sorbs.net (result 127.0.0.3 = open socks proxy)
29dnsbl.sorbs.net (result 127.0.0.4 = open proxy)
29dnsbl.sorbs.net (result 127.0.0.2 = open http proxy)
25dnsbl.njabl.org (result 127.0.0.2 = open relay)
25dnsbl.ahbl.org (result 127.0.0.3 = open proxy)
16dnsbl.njabl.org (result 127.0.0.4 = spam source)
16dnsbl.ahbl.org (result 127.0.0.10 = shoot on sight spammer)
9multi.surbl.org
4dnsbl-0.uceprotect.net
4dnsbl.sorbs.net (result 127.0.0.9 = zombie network)
3multi.uribl.com (result 127.0.0.2 = spam resource)
3dnsbl.sorbs.net (result 127.0.0.6 = spam source)
3spamguard.leadmon.net (result 127.0.0.9 = abused DNS server)
3multi.uribl.com (union of all results)
3spamguard.leadmon.net (union of all results)
2tor.dnsbl.sectoor.de (result 127.0.0.1 = Tor server)
1wadb.isipp.com
1hostkarma.junkemailfilter.com (result 127.0.2.3 = domain first seen more than 7 days ago)
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
41274(total number of IP addresses whose names were tested, including 155 at SDSC)
19855hostkarma.junkemailfilter.com (result 127.0.2.3 = domain first seen more than 7 days ago)
16014hostkarma.junkemailfilter.com (result 127.0.1.1 = MTA sends QUIT)
6066l1.apews.org
2778hostkarma.junkemailfilter.com (result 127.0.0.1 = whitelisted)
2643hostkarma.junkemailfilter.com (result 127.0.0.5 = do not blacklist)
1471(union of most domain zones)
484hostkarma.junkemailfilter.com (result 127.0.0.2 = spam source)
428hostkarma.junkemailfilter.com (result 127.0.0.3 = mix of spam and nonspam)
399dbl.spamhaus.org (result 127.0.1.2 = spam source)
399dbl.spamhaus.org (union of all results)
263hostkarma.junkemailfilter.com (result 127.0.1.4 = no verify host)
140hostkarma.junkemailfilter.com (result 127.0.2.2 = domain first seen in last 7 days)
58urired.spameatingmonkey.net
52hostkarma.junkemailfilter.com (result 127.0.1.2 = MTA does not send QUIT)
49fresh.spameatingmonkey.net
45multi.uribl.com (result 127.0.0.2 = spam resource)
45multi.uribl.com (union of all results)
39multi.surbl.org
34dob.sibl.support-intelligence.net
22rhsbl.ahbl.org
20hostkarma.junkemailfilter.com (result 127.0.2.1 = domain first seen today)
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
30924(total number of domains tested, including 102 at SDSC)
27786hostkarma.junkemailfilter.com (result 127.0.2.3 = domain first seen more than 7 days ago)
4122hostkarma.junkemailfilter.com (result 127.0.1.1 = MTA sends QUIT)
3169(union of most domain zones)
2328hostkarma.junkemailfilter.com (result 127.0.0.2 = spam source)
2077hostkarma.junkemailfilter.com (result 127.0.0.5 = do not blacklist)
2071hostkarma.junkemailfilter.com (result 127.0.0.1 = whitelisted)
1909dbl.spamhaus.org (union of all results)
1905dbl.spamhaus.org (result 127.0.1.2 = spam source)
1370multi.surbl.org
1344hostkarma.junkemailfilter.com (result 127.0.2.2 = domain first seen in last 7 days)
1081multi.uribl.com (union of all results)
1066multi.uribl.com (result 127.0.0.2 = spam resource)
559l1.apews.org
553fresh.spameatingmonkey.net
464dob.sibl.support-intelligence.net
289hostkarma.junkemailfilter.com (result 127.0.0.3 = mix of spam and nonspam)
275urired.spameatingmonkey.net
70hostkarma.junkemailfilter.com (result 127.0.2.1 = domain first seen today)
18hostkarma.junkemailfilter.com (result 127.0.1.4 = no verify host)
18rhsbl.ahbl.org
15multi.uribl.com (result 127.0.0.4 = opt-out spam resource)
14hostkarma.junkemailfilter.com (result 127.0.1.2 = MTA does not send QUIT)
4ex.dnsbl.org
4dbl.spamhaus.org (result 127.0.1.3 = domain redirects to spammer)
This document was last updated by Jeff Makey <jeff@sdsc.edu> on 5 November 2012.