sqlmapproject/sqlmap · error · SqlmapSyntaxException

postprocess script ' ' should have an extension '.py

Error message

postprocess script '%s' should have an extension '.py'

What it means

After passing the existence check, each --postprocess script must end with the '.py' extension so sqlmap can strip it to derive the importable module name (filename[:-3]). This is a format guard: a non-.py path raises SqlmapSyntaxException even if the file exists and contains valid Python.

Solutions

1. Rename the script so it ends with '.py' (e.g. `mv myscript myscript.py`).
2. Point --postprocess at the .py file rather than a wrapper, executable, or directory.
3. Keep the basename a valid Python module identifier (no spaces or dashes) so the import step also succeeds.

When it happens

Trigger: Thrown at lib/core/option.py:1076 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/e709adf725a81110. Report an issue: GitHub.

Appendix: source

Thrown at lib/core/option.py:1076

    if conf.postprocess:
        for script in re.split(PARAMETER_SPLITTING_REGEX, conf.postprocess):
            found = False
            function = None

            script = safeFilepathEncode(script.strip())

            try:
                if not script:
                    continue

                if not os.path.exists(script):
                    errMsg = "postprocess script '%s' does not exist" % script
                    raise SqlmapFilePathException(errMsg)

                elif not script.endswith(".py"):
                    errMsg = "postprocess script '%s' should have an extension '.py'" % script
                    raise SqlmapSyntaxException(errMsg)
            except UnicodeDecodeError:
                errMsg = "invalid character provided in option '--postprocess'"
                raise SqlmapSyntaxException(errMsg)

            dirname, filename = os.path.split(script)
            dirname = os.path.abspath(dirname)

            infoMsg = "loading postprocess module '%s'" % filename[:-3]
            logger.info(infoMsg)

            if not os.path.exists(os.path.join(dirname, "__init__.py")):
                errMsg = "make sure that there is an empty file '__init__.py' "
                errMsg += "inside of postprocess scripts directory '%s'" % dirname
                raise SqlmapGenericException(errMsg)

            if dirname not in sys.path:
                sys.path.insert(0, dirname)

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