The DroneBL DNSBL is a real-time blocklist (or blacklist) that identifies IP addresses associated with various forms of automated abuse, such as IRC drones, open proxies, and botnet activity.
The DroneBL DNSBL is a real-time IP address blocklist that tracks devices involved in automated malicious activities. While it can be used as an email blacklist, its primary focus is broader, aiming to protect real-time and near-real-time social networks like IRC from abuse. The goal is to create a safer internet by maintaining a database of abusable and compromised machines, which helps services prevent issues like phishing attacks, spam, and botnet activity before they occur. This blacklist (or blocklist) is designed to identify IPs associated with malware, viruses, various types of proxies, and other forms of network abuse.
DroneBL provides public access to its data through its DNSBL zone: dnsbl.dronebl.org. The service is free for both commercial and non-commercial use. A manual lookup involves reversing the IP address, appending the DNSBL zone name (e.g., 23.42.168.192.dnsbl.dronebl.org for the IP 192.168.42.23), and checking for an 'A' record. If a record is returned, the IP is listed on the blacklist.
The DroneBL DNSBL can be integrated into various platforms to block connections from listed IPs. Common integrations include:
The DroneBL software was originally written and maintained by William Pitcock and Steve Church, with contributions from others in the community. The DroneBL software is open source, available under a permissive BSD-style license. Currently, the DroneBL service and its associated DNSBL are maintained by a team of dedicated volunteers and contributors.
Before requesting removal from this blocklist, it is important to ensure the underlying issue is resolved. A listing on DroneBL DNSBL usually means the IP address was previously used for malicious activity. This may not be your fault, as internet providers often reassign IP addresses. However, if the listing is recent or you have a permanent IP address, you should check that your devices, including routers and modems, are fully updated and have active anti-malware software.
To request delisting, you must be the primary user of the IP address. If you are using a VPN, public Wi-Fi, or a shared server, you should contact the service administrator. To start the process, visit the DroneBL lookup page. It is best to do this from the affected device, as it will auto-populate your IP. If you are on a different device, you will need to find the blocked IP address and enter it manually. After submitting the removal request, it will be sent to volunteers for review. Please be patient, as this can take some time. If the listing is not removed within a week, you can contact the team on IRC for an update.
The impact of being listed on the DroneBL DNSBL is generally considered low, especially concerning email deliverability. It is not one of the major blacklists used by large email providers. However, its impact is broader than just email. Since DroneBL is used to protect services like IRC networks, gaming servers, and forums, being listed can result in being blocked or banned from these platforms. If you are using your IP address to send email, you might experience some rejections, but the primary impact is typically felt on non-email services that use this specific blacklist (blocklist) for protection against automated abuse.
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