The DroneBL Blacklist Service is a real-time, DNS-based blacklist that tracks "abusable" or compromised machines—such as bots, proxies, and rooted systems—across the internet. Originally developed to protect real-time platforms like IRC, social networks, and gaming servers, it’s also widely used to filter spam in mail systems. The list is community-maintained, free for both commercial and non-commercial use, and accessible via standard DNSBL queries at dnsbl.dronebl.org.
IPs end up on DroneBL due to malware infections, unauthorized proxy use, botnet activity, brute-force behaviors, or other automated abuses dronebl.org.
Removal requires a manual delist request through DroneBL’s lookup page: users must ensure the underlying issue is resolved—such as cleaning malware from devices—then submit the request. Review and delisting are handled by volunteer maintainers, and the process may take several days.