dns-blocklists

This repository contains the Ansible playbook that we use to generate DNS based blocking files for our Encrypted DNS, and VPN server (also known as VPN relay) based DNS blocking.

This is imported to our VPN servers frequently.

We aim to update these lists on a weekly basis. You can view the latest update by selecting the commits to this repository.

Using Encrypted DNS on Apple Devices

For convenience we have Apple configuration profiles (.mobileconfig) signed for simpler "one-click installation", or MDM management.

These are available here: https://github.com/mullvad/encrypted-dns-profiles

Differences between VPN servers and Encrypted DNS

Please note that our Encrypted DNS service includes different hostnames for each option. We currently offer the following:

• Vanilla:
  • This includes zero blocking, purely encrypted DNS for TLS and HTTPs.
  • TLS: dns.mullvad.net
  • HTTPS: https://dns.mullvad.net/dns-query
• Ad-block:
  • This includes Ad-blocking and Tracker blocking for TLS and HTTPS. The lists are what are found in this repository.
  • TLS: adblock.dns.mullvad.net
  • HTTPS: https://adblock.dns.mullvad.net/dns-query
• Base:
  • This includes Ad-blocking, Tracker, and Malware blocking for TLS and HTTPS. The lists are what are found in this repository.
  • TLS: base.dns.mullvad.net
  • HTTPS: https://base.dns.mullvad.net/dns-query
• Extended:
  • This includes Ad-blocking, Tracker, Malware and Social Media blocking for TLS and HTTPS. The lists are what are found in this repository.
  • TLS: extended.dns.mullvad.net
  • HTTPS: https://extended.dns.mullvad.net/dns-query
• All:
  • This includes Ad-blocking, Tracker, Malware, Adult content, Gambling and Social Media blocking for TLS and HTTPS. The lists are what are found in this repository.
  • TLS: all.dns.mullvad.net
  • HTTPS: https://all.dns.mullvad.net/dns-query

Note that social media block lists are not available on our VPN server block lists, they are only available on the Encrypted DNS service.

Lists

The following lists are what we import to our service. You can find these defined in inventory/group_vars for the server type you wish to view.

• doh: Encrypted DNS servers
• relay: VPN servers (relays)

Trackers

We currently use these tracker blocklists with our service:

• firebog-easylist-privacy: https://v.firebog.net/hosts/Easyprivacy.txt
• windows-spy-blocker-spy: https://raw.githubusercontent.com/crazy-max/WindowsSpyBlocker/master/data/hosts/spy.txt
• perflyst-android-tracking: https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Perflyst/PiHoleBlocklist/master/android-tracking.txt
• telemetry-alexa: https://raw.githubusercontent.com/nextdns/native-tracking-domains/main/domains/alexa
• telemetry-apple: https://raw.githubusercontent.com/nextdns/native-tracking-domains/main/domains/apple
• telemetry-huawei: https://raw.githubusercontent.com/nextdns/native-tracking-domains/main/domains/huawei
• telemetry-samsung: https://raw.githubusercontent.com/nextdns/native-tracking-domains/main/domains/samsung
• telemetry-sonos: https://raw.githubusercontent.com/nextdns/native-tracking-domains/main/domains/sonos
• telemetry-windows: https://raw.githubusercontent.com/nextdns/native-tracking-domains/main/domains/windows
• telemetry-xiaomi: https://raw.githubusercontent.com/nextdns/native-tracking-domains/main/domains/xiaomi

Advertising

We currently use these advertising blocklists with our service:

• oisd-small: https://small.oisd.nl/rpz
• frellwits-swedish-hosts-file: https://raw.githubusercontent.com/lassekongo83/Frellwits-filter-lists/master/Frellwits-Swedish-Hosts-File.txt
• AdguardDNS: https://v.firebog.net/hosts/AdguardDNS.txt

Adult content

We currently use this Adult content blocklist for our service:

• pornography-hosts: https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Sinfonietta/hostfiles/master/pornography-hosts

Gambling

We currently use these gambling blocklists with our service:

• blocklist-project: https://raw.githubusercontent.com/blocklistproject/Lists/master/alt-version/gambling-nl.txt

Social media

We currently generate our own Social media blocklists for the Encrypted DNS service, not VPN servers.

You can find all the URLs in inventory/group_vars/all.yml

Malware

We currently use this malware content blocklist for our service:

• urlhaus: https://urlhaus.abuse.ch/downloads/hostfile

Pull requests / Issues / Updating block lists

We really welcome your feedback for lists to use for blocking! We cannot action them all individually, but we will read them. This is an actively worked on project and we will take into consideration all of your requests, even if we do not reply to them.

We prefer to not block individual custom URLs or add block lists without them being fully validated and verified first. Please consider pointing us toward a reputable block list prior to making a Github Issue.

If we close your issue or reject your request, it is most likely down to us not having a way of verifying that the block list is trustworthy.

Custom DNS entries for use with our VPN service

The following is a list of all the IP addresses we use for our DNS based blocking.

These IPs can be used within custom DNS in our configuration files, or via our Apps.

To block everything enter: 100.64.0.31

Ads and Tracker combinations

100.64.0.1 - Ad blocking only
100.64.0.2 - Trackers only
100.64.0.3 - Ad blocking and tracker blocking

Malware serving website combinations

100.64.0.4 - Malware blocking only
100.64.0.5 - Ad blocking and malware blocking
100.64.0.6 - Tracker blocking and malware blocking
100.64.0.7 - Ad blocking, tracker blocking and malware blocking

Adult content blocking combinations

100.64.0.8 - Adult content blocking only
100.64.0.9 - Adult content and ad blocking
100.64.0.10 - Adult content and tracker blocking
100.64.0.11 - Adult content blocking, ad blocking and tracker blocking
100.64.0.12 - Adult content blocking and malware blocking
100.64.0.13 - Adult content blocking, ad blocking and malware blocking
100.64.0.14 - Adult content blocking, tracker blocking and malware blocking
100.64.0.15 - Adult content blocking, ad blocking, tracker blocking and malware blocking

Gambling website combinations

100.64.0.16 - Gambling blocking only
100.64.0.17 - Gambling blocking and ad blocking
100.64.0.18 - Gambling blocking and tracker blocking
100.64.0.19 - Gambling blocking, ad blocking and tracker blocking
100.64.0.20 - Gambling blocking and malware blocking
100.64.0.21 - Gambling blocking ad blocking and malware blocking
100.64.0.22 - Gambling blocking, malware blocking and tracking blocking
100.64.0.23 - Gambling blocking, ad blocking, malware blocking and tracker blocking
100.64.0.24 - Gambling blocking and adult blocking
100.64.0.25 - Gambling blocking, ad blocking and adult content blocking
100.64.0.26 - Gambling blocking, adult content blocking, and tracker blocking
100.64.0.27 - Gambling blocking, ad blocking, adult content blocking and tracker blocking
100.64.0.28 - Gambling blocking, adult content blocking and malware blocking
100.64.0.29 - Gambling blocking, ad blocking, adult content blocking, and malware blocking
100.64.0.30 - Gambling blocking, adult content blocking, malware blocking and tracker blocking
100.64.0.31 - Ad blocking, adult content blocking, gambling blocking, malware blocking, tracker blocking ("Everything")

Building

The following steps are useful only if you wish to build the lists yourself.

The output files located in output/relay/ are what are imported onto our VPN servers.

Requirements

• Ansible Core 2.14.x =<
• Qubes OS

Step by step

• Ensure the values in group_vars/<group>.yml are up to date with any block lists
• Ensure the script in scripts/generate_social_blocklists.sh has been run in a Disposible VM (dispVM) with the output qvm-copied to inventory/group_vars
• Ensure you have added any 'custom' extra lists or websites to block
• Run the playbook to generate the lists:
  • ansible-playbook -i inventory/ playbook.yml
  • ansible-playbook -i inventory/ playbook.yml --tags=readme can be used to generate the README on its own
• View the output (once pushed) at https://raw.githubusercontent.com/mullvad/dns-adblock/main/output/<group>.txt?raw=true
• Run test script: cd scripts && ./check_zonedata.sh
• Sign the outputted relay files with your GPG code signing key, for example:
  • for list in adblock adult privacy gambling social; do gpg2 --detach-sign --armor output/relay/relay_${list}.txt > output/relay/relay_${list}.txt.gpg; done && for list in adblock adult privacy gambling social; do gpg2 --detach-sign --armor output/relay/relay_${list}.zone > output/relay/relay_${list}.gpg; done
• Verify the outputted GPG signed files, for example:
  • for list in adblock adult privacy gambling social; do echo "Verify: ${list}" && gpg2 --verify output/relay/relay_${list}.txt.gpg output/relay/relay_${list}.txt; done && for list in adblock adult privacy gambling social; do echo "Verify: ${list}" && gpg2 --verify output/relay/relay_${list}.gpg output/relay/relay_${list}.zone; done