sqlmapproject/sqlmap · error · SqlmapError

could not locate the sqlmap engine ('%s')

Error message

could not locate the sqlmap engine ('%s')

What it means

Error "could not locate the sqlmap engine ('%s')" thrown in sqlmapproject/sqlmap.

Source

Thrown at lib/utils/library.py:95

    'outputDir' to keep the run's files.

    Example:
        import sqlmap
        result = sqlmap.scan("http://target/vuln.php?id=1", dumpTable=True, tbl="users")
    """

    import shutil
    import subprocess
    import time

    from lib.core.common import saveConfig
    from lib.core.optiondict import optDict

    if not (url or requestFile):
        raise SqlmapError("scan() requires either 'url' or 'requestFile'")

    if not os.path.isfile(SQLMAP_FILE):
        raise SqlmapError("could not locate the sqlmap engine ('%s')" % SQLMAP_FILE)

    knownOptions = set()
    for family in optDict.values():
        knownOptions.update(family)

    config = {}
    if url:
        config["url"] = url
    if requestFile:
        config["requestFile"] = requestFile
    config.update(options)

    unknown = [_ for _ in config if _ not in knownOptions]
    if unknown:
        raise SqlmapError("unknown option(s) %s - scan() expects sqlmap option names as used in a configuration file (e.g. getBanner, dumpTable, tbl, technique, level), not command line switches" % ", ".join(repr(_) for _ in sorted(unknown)))

    handle, report = tempfile.mkstemp(prefix="sqlmap-", suffix=".json")
    os.close(handle)

View on GitHub (pinned to 0a35b20e39)

When it happens

Trigger: Thrown at lib/utils/library.py:95 when the library encounters an invalid state.

Common situations: See trigger scenarios.

AI-assisted analysis of sqlmapproject/sqlmap@0a35b20e39 (2026-08-26). Data as JSON: /api/errors/c2d15519cc297992. Report an issue: GitHub.