Blacklists Compared

15 December 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
38409(total number of IP addresses tested, including 148 at SDSC)
33713(union of most IP zones)
25108l2.apews.org
24518zen.spamhaus.org (union of all results)
24072b.barracudacentral.org
23907ip.v4bl.org
23012zen.spamhaus.org (result 127.0.0.4 = Composite Blocking List)
23010cbl.abuseat.org
22181bl.tiopan.com
19378hostkarma.junkemailfilter.com (result 127.0.1.1 = MTA sends QUIT)
19262hostkarma.junkemailfilter.com (result 127.0.0.2 = spam source)
15276dnsbl-1.uceprotect.net
14934zen.spamhaus.org (result 127.0.0.11 = Spamhaus PBL, Spamhaus entry)
13417bl.mailspike.net (union of all results)
11031bl.mailspike.net (result 127.0.0.12 = bad reputation)
10481ubl.unsubscore.com
10366dnsbl-2.uceprotect.net
10213dnsbl.sorbs.net (union of all results)
9686dnsbl-3.uceprotect.net
9647psbl.surriel.com
9498all.spamrats.com (union of all results)
8906wl.mailspike.net (union of all results) (not a blacklist!)
7765spam.dnsbl.sorbs.net
7624dnsbl.sorbs.net (result 127.0.0.7 = hacked/vulnerable)
7608bl.spameatingmonkey.net
7601dnsbl.inps.de
7192list.dnswl.org (not a blacklist!)
6571db.wpbl.info
5714wl.mailspike.net (result 127.0.0.18 = good reputation) (not a blacklist!)
4744all.spamrats.com (result 127.0.0.36 = dialup)
4464free.v4bl.org
4410all.spamrats.com (result 127.0.0.37 = no reverse DNS entry)
4362truncate.gbudb.net
3321bl.spamcop.net
3112dnsbl.sorbs.net (result 127.0.0.10 = dialup)
3094bl.score.senderscore.com
3009hostkarma.junkemailfilter.com (result 127.0.0.3 = mix of spam and nonspam)
2708hostkarma.junkemailfilter.com (result 127.0.0.1 = whitelisted)
2560wl.mailspike.net (result 127.0.0.17 = possible legitimate sender) (not a blacklist!)
2085ix.dnsbl.manitu.net
1974zen.spamhaus.org (result 127.0.0.10 = Spamhaus PBL, ISP contributed)
1879ips.backscatterer.org
1778hostkarma.junkemailfilter.com (result 127.0.0.5 = do not blacklist)
1693bl.mailspike.net (result 127.0.0.2 = distributed spam wave participant)
1669bl.mailspike.net (result 127.0.0.11 = very bad reputation)
1384hostkarma.junkemailfilter.com (result 127.0.1.2 = MTA does not send QUIT)
1250bl.spamcannibal.org
1246zen.spamhaus.org (union of SBL and SBLCSS results)
809accredit.habeas.com (not a blacklist!)
803zen.spamhaus.org (result 127.0.0.3 = Spamhaus SBLCSS)
690all.s5h.net
690spamsources.fabel.dk
671query.bondedsender.org (not a blacklist!)
623korea.services.net
462mail-abuse.blacklist.jippg.org
443zen.spamhaus.org (result 127.0.0.2 = Spamhaus SBL)
432tr.countries.nerd.dk
420wl.mailspike.net (result 127.0.0.19 = very good reputation) (not a blacklist!)
370all.spamrats.com (result 127.0.0.38 = spam source)
338l2.bbfh.ext.sorbs.net
269iadb.isipp.com (not a blacklist!)
265aspews.ext.sorbs.net
212wl.mailspike.net (result 127.0.0.20 = excellent reputation) (not a blacklist!)
166dnsbl.ahbl.org (union of all results)
162bl.mailspike.net (result 127.0.0.10 = worst possible reputation)
162dnsbl.njabl.org (union of all results)
138iadb2.isipp.com (not a blacklist!)
123dnsbl.ahbl.org (result 127.0.0.4 = spam source)
117dnsbl.njabl.org (result 127.0.0.9 = open proxy)
117hostkarma.junkemailfilter.com (result 127.0.0.4 = spam source aspirant)
33dnsbl.sorbs.net (result 127.0.0.6 = spam source)
31dnsbl.njabl.org (result 127.0.0.2 = open relay)
31dnsbl.ahbl.org (result 127.0.0.3 = open proxy)
30dnsbl.sorbs.net (result 127.0.0.3 = open socks proxy)
30dnsbl.sorbs.net (result 127.0.0.4 = open proxy)
30dnsbl.sorbs.net (result 127.0.0.2 = open http proxy)
28tor.dnsbl.sectoor.de (union of all results)
27tor.dnsbl.sectoor.de (result 127.0.0.2 = /24 contains a Tor server)
14dnsbl.njabl.org (result 127.0.0.4 = spam source)
12dnsbl.ahbl.org (result 127.0.0.10 = shoot on sight spammer)
8multi.surbl.org
4dnsbl.sorbs.net (result 127.0.0.9 = zombie network)
3multi.uribl.com (result 127.0.0.2 = spam resource)
3multi.uribl.com (union of all results)
2dnsbl-0.uceprotect.net
2spamguard.leadmon.net (result 127.0.0.9 = abused DNS server)
2spamguard.leadmon.net (union of all results)
1wadb.isipp.com
1tor.dnsbl.sectoor.de (result 127.0.0.1 = Tor server)
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
38409(total number of IP addresses whose names were tested, including 148 at SDSC)
19626hostkarma.junkemailfilter.com (result 127.0.2.3 = domain first seen more than 7 days ago)
15786hostkarma.junkemailfilter.com (result 127.0.1.1 = MTA sends QUIT)
5458l1.apews.org
2786hostkarma.junkemailfilter.com (result 127.0.0.1 = whitelisted)
2652hostkarma.junkemailfilter.com (result 127.0.0.5 = do not blacklist)
1799(union of most domain zones)
636hostkarma.junkemailfilter.com (result 127.0.0.3 = mix of spam and nonspam)
444hostkarma.junkemailfilter.com (result 127.0.0.2 = spam source)
401dbl.spamhaus.org (result 127.0.1.2 = spam source)
401dbl.spamhaus.org (union of all results)
301hostkarma.junkemailfilter.com (result 127.0.1.4 = no verify host)
147urired.spameatingmonkey.net
144hostkarma.junkemailfilter.com (result 127.0.2.2 = domain first seen in last 7 days)
89hostkarma.junkemailfilter.com (result 127.0.1.2 = MTA does not send QUIT)
61multi.uribl.com (result 127.0.0.2 = spam resource)
61multi.uribl.com (union of all results)
50rhsbl.ahbl.org
40multi.surbl.org
12hostkarma.junkemailfilter.com (result 127.0.2.1 = domain first seen today)
10fresh.spameatingmonkey.net
7dob.sibl.support-intelligence.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
25713(total number of domains tested, including 107 at SDSC)
22649hostkarma.junkemailfilter.com (result 127.0.2.3 = domain first seen more than 7 days ago)
3871hostkarma.junkemailfilter.com (result 127.0.1.1 = MTA sends QUIT)
3435(union of most domain zones)
2434dbl.spamhaus.org (union of all results)
2433dbl.spamhaus.org (result 127.0.1.2 = spam source)
2316hostkarma.junkemailfilter.com (result 127.0.0.2 = spam source)
1937hostkarma.junkemailfilter.com (result 127.0.0.1 = whitelisted)
1823hostkarma.junkemailfilter.com (result 127.0.0.5 = do not blacklist)
1560multi.surbl.org
1392multi.uribl.com (union of all results)
1374multi.uribl.com (result 127.0.0.2 = spam resource)
1360hostkarma.junkemailfilter.com (result 127.0.2.2 = domain first seen in last 7 days)
650dob.sibl.support-intelligence.net
647urired.spameatingmonkey.net
627fresh.spameatingmonkey.net
561l1.apews.org
307hostkarma.junkemailfilter.com (result 127.0.0.3 = mix of spam and nonspam)
25hostkarma.junkemailfilter.com (result 127.0.1.2 = MTA does not send QUIT)
19hostkarma.junkemailfilter.com (result 127.0.2.1 = domain first seen today)
16rhsbl.ahbl.org
15multi.uribl.com (result 127.0.0.4 = opt-out spam resource)
15hostkarma.junkemailfilter.com (result 127.0.1.4 = no verify host)
10ex.dnsbl.org
3multi.uribl.com (result 127.0.0.8 = new domain or concealed contact)
3hostkarma.junkemailfilter.com (result 127.0.1.3 = MTA somtimes sends QUIT)
1dbl.spamhaus.org (result 127.0.1.3 = domain redirects to spammer)
This document was last updated by Jeff Makey <jeff@sdsc.edu> on 17 December 2012.