Can you track the IP address of Yahoo IM?

I was wondering if there is a program or some kind of packet sniffer that can show what IP address you are getting an IM message from. A friend is having some problems getting a lot of strange IM from what looks like the same person, but with different ID. I want to see if you can narrow it down to an IP from the sender.

something free would be great, but spending a little to get this is ok to.

Ethereal.
http://www.ethereal.com/download.html

Ethereal got renamed about a year ago, so "Ethereal" isn't supported anymore.

It got renamed to Wireshark, and contains everything that Ethereal did.

http://www.wireshark.org/download.html

Hurdler said:

Ethereal got renamed about a year ago, so "Ethereal" isn't supported anymore.

It got renamed to Wireshark, and contains everything that Ethereal did.

http://www.wireshark.org/download.html

Click to expand...

Either/or. I still use Ethereal, works just fine.

Technically you'll only see the sending server with a packet sniffer. Most IM clients (AOL, Yahoo, MSN) relay the IM's through a series of proxy servers, not a direct connection.

Short answer to your question: No, not really. Their IP is obfuscated by the messaging networks servers.

Long answer: Yes, but you'll need to find out if the originating IP is included in the message (I seriously doubt it), hack the proxy server and locate the message and thusly the IP of the sender, or somehow get them to install some software of your design that will relay the IP info needed, or get them to establish a direct connection to your system or a system with which you can view the connected IP's. There are, of course, tons of other ways, but most of them are seriously complicated.

or start a "direct connection" to that user (which they must agree to) to send them a file or something,

then use ethereal or netstat


EDIT: you already said that, my bad

cooper you beat me to it on the direct connection method.