Blacklists Compared

8 March 2014

[ 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
60579(total number of IP addresses tested, including 157 at SDSC)
55339(union of most IP zones)
47913b.barracudacentral.org
46848zen.spamhaus.org (union of all results)
46564l2.apews.org
45017cbl.abuseat.org
45013zen.spamhaus.org (result 127.0.0.4 = Composite Blocking List)
41473spam.dnsbl.sorbs.net
40350bl.tiopan.com
36830ubl.unsubscore.com
36802dnsbl-1.uceprotect.net
35825psbl.surriel.com
35070bl.mailspike.net (union of all results)
33420bl.mailspike.net (result 127.0.0.10 = worst possible reputation)
28966hostkarma.junkemailfilter.com (result 127.0.0.2 = spam source)
27616hostkarma.junkemailfilter.com (result 127.0.1.1 = MTA sends QUIT)
26832zen.spamhaus.org (result 127.0.0.11 = Spamhaus PBL, Spamhaus entry)
26163dnsbl.sorbs.net (union of all results)
24061dnsbl.inps.de
23746bl.spameatingmonkey.net
21500db.wpbl.info
15777dnsbl.sorbs.net (result 127.0.0.6 = spam source)
15446all.spamrats.com (union of all results)
14857bl.spamcop.net
14662dnsbl-2.uceprotect.net
14388truncate.gbudb.net
13576dnsbl-3.uceprotect.net
10779all.spamrats.com (result 127.0.0.36 = dialup)
10441dnsbl.sorbs.net (result 127.0.0.10 = dialup)
9544ix.dnsbl.manitu.net
7784dnsbl.sorbs.net (result 127.0.0.7 = hacked/vulnerable)
6604bl.score.senderscore.com
6255list.dnswl.org (not a blacklist!)
5641zen.spamhaus.org (result 127.0.0.10 = Spamhaus PBL, ISP contributed)
5120ips.backscatterer.org
5120wl.mailspike.net (union of all results) (not a blacklist!)
4390all.spamrats.com (result 127.0.0.37 = no reverse DNS entry)
3539hostkarma.junkemailfilter.com (result 127.0.0.1 = whitelisted)
3224hostkarma.junkemailfilter.com (result 127.0.0.5 = do not blacklist)
3025wl.mailspike.net (result 127.0.0.18 = good reputation) (not a blacklist!)
2688hostkarma.junkemailfilter.com (result 127.0.1.2 = MTA does not send QUIT)
2543hostkarma.junkemailfilter.com (result 127.0.0.3 = mix of spam and nonspam)
2065bl.mailspike.net (result 127.0.0.2 = distributed spam wave participant)
1629all.s5h.net
1535zen.spamhaus.org (union of SBL and SBLCSS results)
1516spamsources.fabel.dk
1488korea.services.net
1383wl.mailspike.net (result 127.0.0.17 = possible legitimate sender) (not a blacklist!)
1105bl.spamcannibal.org
835tr.countries.nerd.dk
796zen.spamhaus.org (result 127.0.0.2 = Spamhaus SBL)
748accredit.habeas.com (not a blacklist!)
739zen.spamhaus.org (result 127.0.0.3 = Spamhaus SBLCSS)
678query.bondedsender.org (not a blacklist!)
648wl.mailspike.net (result 127.0.0.19 = very good reputation) (not a blacklist!)
623bl.mailspike.net (result 127.0.0.12 = bad reputation)
526hostkarma.junkemailfilter.com (result 127.0.0.4 = spam source aspirant)
447bl.mailspike.net (result 127.0.0.11 = very bad reputation)
305all.spamrats.com (result 127.0.0.38 = spam source)
287free.v4bl.org
268mail-abuse.blacklist.jippg.org
152iadb.isipp.com (not a blacklist!)
78tor.dnsbl.sectoor.de (union of all results)
77iadb2.isipp.com (not a blacklist!)
76tor.dnsbl.sectoor.de (result 127.0.0.2 = /24 contains a Tor server)
71dnsbl.sorbs.net (result 127.0.0.3 = open socks proxy)
71dnsbl.sorbs.net (result 127.0.0.4 = open proxy)
71dnsbl.sorbs.net (result 127.0.0.2 = open http proxy)
70dnsbl.ahbl.org (union of all results)
65wl.mailspike.net (result 127.0.0.20 = excellent reputation) (not a blacklist!)
64bl.mav.com.br
62dnsbl.ahbl.org (result 127.0.0.4 = spam source)
9multi.uribl.com (result 127.0.0.2 = spam resource)
9multi.surbl.org
9multi.uribl.com (union of all results)
8dnsbl.ahbl.org (result 127.0.0.3 = open proxy)
5dnsbl.sorbs.net (result 127.0.0.5 = open relay)
4dnsbl-0.uceprotect.net
4spamguard.leadmon.net (union of all results)
3dnsbl.sorbs.net (result 127.0.0.9 = zombie network)
3spamguard.leadmon.net (result 127.0.0.9 = abused DNS server)
2tor.dnsbl.sectoor.de (result 127.0.0.1 = Tor server)
1wadb.isipp.com
1spamguard.leadmon.net (result 127.0.0.7 = spam source netblock)
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
60579(total number of IP addresses whose names were tested, including 157 at SDSC)
38553hostkarma.junkemailfilter.com (result 127.0.2.3 = domain first seen more than 7 days ago)
31883hostkarma.junkemailfilter.com (result 127.0.1.1 = MTA sends QUIT)
19174l1.apews.org
4863hostkarma.junkemailfilter.com (result 127.0.0.5 = do not blacklist)
2543hostkarma.junkemailfilter.com (result 127.0.0.1 = whitelisted)
2388(union of most domain zones)
886hostkarma.junkemailfilter.com (result 127.0.0.2 = spam source)
824hostkarma.junkemailfilter.com (result 127.0.0.3 = mix of spam and nonspam)
814dbl.spamhaus.org (result 127.0.1.2 = spam source)
814dbl.spamhaus.org (union of all results)
581hostkarma.junkemailfilter.com (result 127.0.2.2 = domain first seen in last 7 days)
277hostkarma.junkemailfilter.com (result 127.0.1.4 = no verify host)
243fresh.spameatingmonkey.net
224dob.sibl.support-intelligence.net
107hostkarma.junkemailfilter.com (result 127.0.1.2 = MTA does not send QUIT)
52multi.uribl.com (result 127.0.0.2 = spam resource)
52multi.uribl.com (union of all results)
47hostkarma.junkemailfilter.com (result 127.0.2.1 = domain first seen today)
46multi.surbl.org
29rhsbl.ahbl.org
24urired.spameatingmonkey.net
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
44544(total number of domains tested, including 117 at SDSC)
38794hostkarma.junkemailfilter.com (result 127.0.2.3 = domain first seen more than 7 days ago)
5003hostkarma.junkemailfilter.com (result 127.0.1.1 = MTA sends QUIT)
4695(union of most domain zones)
3386hostkarma.junkemailfilter.com (result 127.0.0.2 = spam source)
3111dbl.spamhaus.org (union of all results)
3110dbl.spamhaus.org (result 127.0.1.2 = spam source)
2283hostkarma.junkemailfilter.com (result 127.0.2.2 = domain first seen in last 7 days)
1737hostkarma.junkemailfilter.com (result 127.0.0.5 = do not blacklist)
1618hostkarma.junkemailfilter.com (result 127.0.0.1 = whitelisted)
1441multi.surbl.org
1327multi.uribl.com (union of all results)
1315multi.uribl.com (result 127.0.0.2 = spam resource)
1105l1.apews.org
623dob.sibl.support-intelligence.net
559fresh.spameatingmonkey.net
218hostkarma.junkemailfilter.com (result 127.0.0.3 = mix of spam and nonspam)
144urired.spameatingmonkey.net
39hostkarma.junkemailfilter.com (result 127.0.1.2 = MTA does not send QUIT)
29rhsbl.ahbl.org
26hostkarma.junkemailfilter.com (result 127.0.2.1 = domain first seen today)
23hostkarma.junkemailfilter.com (result 127.0.1.4 = no verify host)
10multi.uribl.com (result 127.0.0.4 = opt-out spam resource)
4ex.dnsbl.org
2multi.uribl.com (result 127.0.0.8 = new domain or concealed contact)
1dbl.spamhaus.org (result 127.0.1.3 = domain redirects to spammer)
This document was last updated by Jeff Makey <jeff@sdsc.edu> on 11 March 2014.