diff --git a/lib/core/settings.py b/lib/core/settings.py
index 1341d3d63..e935bc807 100644
--- a/lib/core/settings.py
+++ b/lib/core/settings.py
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ from lib.core.enums import OS
 from thirdparty.six import unichr as _unichr
 
 # sqlmap version (<major>.<minor>.<month>.<monthly commit>)
-VERSION = "1.4.8.24"
+VERSION = "1.4.9.0"
 TYPE = "dev" if VERSION.count('.') > 2 and VERSION.split('.')[-1] != '0' else "stable"
 TYPE_COLORS = {"dev": 33, "stable": 90, "pip": 34}
 VERSION_STRING = "sqlmap/%s#%s" % ('.'.join(VERSION.split('.')[:-1]) if VERSION.count('.') > 2 and VERSION.split('.')[-1] == '0' else VERSION, TYPE)
diff --git a/lib/request/connect.py b/lib/request/connect.py
index eb7d92e2f..761fb38b5 100644
--- a/lib/request/connect.py
+++ b/lib/request/connect.py
@@ -539,7 +539,7 @@ class Connect(object):
                 conn = _urllib.request.urlopen(req)
 
                 if not kb.authHeader and getRequestHeader(req, HTTP_HEADER.AUTHORIZATION) and (conf.authType or "").lower() == AUTH_TYPE.BASIC.lower():
-                    kb.authHeader = getRequestHeader(req, HTTP_HEADER.AUTHORIZATION)
+                    kb.authHeader = getUnicode(getRequestHeader(req, HTTP_HEADER.AUTHORIZATION))
 
                 if not kb.proxyAuthHeader and getRequestHeader(req, HTTP_HEADER.PROXY_AUTHORIZATION):
                     kb.proxyAuthHeader = getRequestHeader(req, HTTP_HEADER.PROXY_AUTHORIZATION)