diff --git a/lib/controller/action.py b/lib/controller/action.py
index a83926712..be58b02b5 100644
--- a/lib/controller/action.py
+++ b/lib/controller/action.py
@@ -16,8 +16,8 @@ from lib.core.enums import CONTENT_TYPE
 from lib.core.exception import SqlmapNoneDataException
 from lib.core.exception import SqlmapUnsupportedDBMSException
 from lib.core.settings import SUPPORTED_DBMS
-from lib.techniques.brute.use import columnExists
-from lib.techniques.brute.use import tableExists
+from lib.utils.brute import columnExists
+from lib.utils.brute import tableExists
 
 def action():
     """
diff --git a/lib/core/settings.py b/lib/core/settings.py
index bfbcaf9f5..da0460c3f 100755
--- a/lib/core/settings.py
+++ b/lib/core/settings.py
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ from lib.core.enums import DBMS_DIRECTORY_NAME
 from lib.core.enums import OS
 
 # sqlmap version (<major>.<minor>.<month>.<monthly commit>)
-VERSION = "1.1.4.27"
+VERSION = "1.1.4.28"
 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/techniques/brute/__init__.py b/lib/techniques/brute/__init__.py
deleted file mode 100644
index 942d54d8f..000000000
--- a/lib/techniques/brute/__init__.py
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,8 +0,0 @@
-#!/usr/bin/env python
-
-"""
-Copyright (c) 2006-2017 sqlmap developers (http://sqlmap.org/)
-See the file 'doc/COPYING' for copying permission
-"""
-
-pass
diff --git a/lib/techniques/brute/use.py b/lib/utils/brute.py
similarity index 100%
rename from lib/techniques/brute/use.py
rename to lib/utils/brute.py
diff --git a/plugins/dbms/maxdb/enumeration.py b/plugins/dbms/maxdb/enumeration.py
index e2ce3a1f7..a506f8207 100644
--- a/plugins/dbms/maxdb/enumeration.py
+++ b/plugins/dbms/maxdb/enumeration.py
@@ -19,8 +19,8 @@ from lib.core.exception import SqlmapMissingMandatoryOptionException
 from lib.core.exception import SqlmapNoneDataException
 from lib.core.exception import SqlmapUserQuitException
 from lib.core.settings import CURRENT_DB
+from lib.utils.brute import columnExists
 from lib.utils.pivotdumptable import pivotDumpTable
-from lib.techniques.brute.use import columnExists
 from plugins.generic.enumeration import Enumeration as GenericEnumeration
 
 class Enumeration(GenericEnumeration):
diff --git a/plugins/dbms/sybase/enumeration.py b/plugins/dbms/sybase/enumeration.py
index 5aa0eb3e7..8ba5e7acd 100644
--- a/plugins/dbms/sybase/enumeration.py
+++ b/plugins/dbms/sybase/enumeration.py
@@ -24,8 +24,8 @@ from lib.core.exception import SqlmapMissingMandatoryOptionException
 from lib.core.exception import SqlmapNoneDataException
 from lib.core.exception import SqlmapUserQuitException
 from lib.core.settings import CURRENT_DB
+from lib.utils.brute import columnExists
 from lib.utils.pivotdumptable import pivotDumpTable
-from lib.techniques.brute.use import columnExists
 from plugins.generic.enumeration import Enumeration as GenericEnumeration
 
 class Enumeration(GenericEnumeration):
diff --git a/plugins/generic/databases.py b/plugins/generic/databases.py
index 18eb168e7..fbac8c999 100644
--- a/plugins/generic/databases.py
+++ b/plugins/generic/databases.py
@@ -42,9 +42,9 @@ from lib.core.exception import SqlmapNoneDataException
 from lib.core.exception import SqlmapUserQuitException
 from lib.core.settings import CURRENT_DB
 from lib.request import inject
-from lib.techniques.brute.use import columnExists
-from lib.techniques.brute.use import tableExists
 from lib.techniques.union.use import unionUse
+from lib.utils.brute import columnExists
+from lib.utils.brute import tableExists
 
 class Databases:
     """
diff --git a/plugins/generic/search.py b/plugins/generic/search.py
index ff7a2a7d3..840e25c69 100644
--- a/plugins/generic/search.py
+++ b/plugins/generic/search.py
@@ -33,8 +33,8 @@ from lib.core.exception import SqlmapUserQuitException
 from lib.core.settings import CURRENT_DB
 from lib.core.settings import METADB_SUFFIX
 from lib.request import inject
-from lib.techniques.brute.use import columnExists
-from lib.techniques.brute.use import tableExists
+from lib.utils.brute import columnExists
+from lib.utils.brute import tableExists
 
 class Search:
     """
diff --git a/txt/checksum.md5 b/txt/checksum.md5
index 2e59d2e10..4905a7f11 100644
--- a/txt/checksum.md5
+++ b/txt/checksum.md5
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ c55b400b72acc43e0e59c87dd8bb8d75  extra/shellcodeexec/windows/shellcodeexec.x32.
 07afd64e65926bba66cee5ca092ac7d9  extra/shutils/regressiontest.py
 310efc965c862cfbd7b0da5150a5ad36  extra/sqlharvest/__init__.py
 7713aa366c983cdf1f3dbaa7383ea9e1  extra/sqlharvest/sqlharvest.py
-5df358defc488bee9b40084892e3d1cb  lib/controller/action.py
+7afe836fd97271ccba67b4c0da2482ff  lib/controller/action.py
 9cb94acd4c59822a5e1a258c4d1a4860  lib/controller/checks.py
 8bf4fde39867b94600f61dc7fddcf3b0  lib/controller/controller.py
 52a3969f57170e935e3fc0156335bf2c  lib/controller/handler.py
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@ dd19b4d930d418f8aef498941346ab2d  lib/core/option.py
 d8e9250f3775119df07e9070eddccd16  lib/core/replication.py
 785f86e3f963fa3798f84286a4e83ff2  lib/core/revision.py
 40c80b28b3a5819b737a5a17d4565ae9  lib/core/session.py
-3f691c178e53e2f8a7c3800f3ee25b0a  lib/core/settings.py
+0ae439cda905701a68a8cdca5a4c9109  lib/core/settings.py
 d91291997d2bd2f6028aaf371bf1d3b6  lib/core/shell.py
 2ad85c130cc5f2b3701ea85c2f6bbf20  lib/core/subprocessng.py
 2571146b71f487a3d11867746c033e40  lib/core/target.py
@@ -88,8 +88,6 @@ c131528696edb96695aa1b58803bd6ae  lib/takeover/web.py
 e5a82481947e798d0c11f3acf3e9db60  lib/takeover/xp_cmdshell.py
 9f03972ea5ce2df74d43be5f30f068eb  lib/techniques/blind/inference.py
 310efc965c862cfbd7b0da5150a5ad36  lib/techniques/blind/__init__.py
-310efc965c862cfbd7b0da5150a5ad36  lib/techniques/brute/__init__.py
-ac3a32b7a84517730fa2885f4e8721ba  lib/techniques/brute/use.py
 310efc965c862cfbd7b0da5150a5ad36  lib/techniques/dns/__init__.py
 ab1601a7f429b47637c4fb8af703d0f1  lib/techniques/dns/test.py
 d3da4c7ceaf57c4687a052d58722f6bb  lib/techniques/dns/use.py
@@ -100,6 +98,7 @@ be752c8075641bc390368c9955f34c91  lib/techniques/error/use.py
 19fd73af7a278fd72b46a5a60f5bdd09  lib/techniques/union/test.py
 c2bf28aab749b0de30bfdeea6d09449f  lib/techniques/union/use.py
 67f0ad96ec2207d7e59c788b858afd6d  lib/utils/api.py
+ac3a32b7a84517730fa2885f4e8721ba  lib/utils/brute.py
 c42203069fef3b326b42b464f3aa60d3  lib/utils/crawler.py
 ba12c69a90061aa14d848b8396e79191  lib/utils/deps.py
 3b9fd519164e0bf275d5fd361c3f11ff  lib/utils/getch.py
@@ -152,7 +151,7 @@ f06d263b2c9b52ea7a120593eb5806c4  plugins/dbms/informix/fingerprint.py
 744fb5044f2b9f9d5ebda6e3f08e3be7  plugins/dbms/informix/takeover.py
 310efc965c862cfbd7b0da5150a5ad36  plugins/dbms/__init__.py
 e50b624ff23c3e180d80e065deb1763f  plugins/dbms/maxdb/connector.py
-870992420d5faadb28c5ba45f5c3904c  plugins/dbms/maxdb/enumeration.py
+053aaccacb4b750472d99e5bdec62414  plugins/dbms/maxdb/enumeration.py
 815ea8e7b9bd714d73d9d6c454aff774  plugins/dbms/maxdb/filesystem.py
 017c723354eff28188773670d3837c01  plugins/dbms/maxdb/fingerprint.py
 c03001c1f70e76de39d26241dfcbd033  plugins/dbms/maxdb/__init__.py
@@ -194,7 +193,7 @@ ee430d142fa8f9ee571578d0a0916679  plugins/dbms/sqlite/fingerprint.py
 4827722159a89652005f49265bb55c43  plugins/dbms/sqlite/syntax.py
 02ab8ff465da9dd31ffe6a963c676180  plugins/dbms/sqlite/takeover.py
 e3e78fab9b5eb97867699f0b20e59b62  plugins/dbms/sybase/connector.py
-d1e09dd970bcf3f06b400227b85fe4c5  plugins/dbms/sybase/enumeration.py
+96698f6e6d8e9ab2020f6a0cf41255c4  plugins/dbms/sybase/enumeration.py
 62d772c7cd08275e3503304ba90c4e8a  plugins/dbms/sybase/filesystem.py
 deed74334b637767fc9de8f74b37647a  plugins/dbms/sybase/fingerprint.py
 45436a42c2bb8075e1482a950d993d55  plugins/dbms/sybase/__init__.py
@@ -202,14 +201,14 @@ deed74334b637767fc9de8f74b37647a  plugins/dbms/sybase/fingerprint.py
 654cd5e69cf5e5c644bfa5d284e61206  plugins/dbms/sybase/takeover.py
 be7481a96214220bcd8f51ca00239bed  plugins/generic/connector.py
 5390591ca955036d492de11355b52e8f  plugins/generic/custom.py
-3b54fd65feb9f70c551d315e82653384  plugins/generic/databases.py
+944b900e7e94a478352055d15dbddfed  plugins/generic/databases.py
 f7387352380136ac05c0bc3decb85638  plugins/generic/entries.py
 55802d1d5d65938414c77ccc27731cab  plugins/generic/enumeration.py
 bc32b21a3ab5421b5307ff7317256229  plugins/generic/filesystem.py
 feca57a968c528a2fe3ccafbc83a17f8  plugins/generic/fingerprint.py
 310efc965c862cfbd7b0da5150a5ad36  plugins/generic/__init__.py
 8fd5913823e97e21a8eea717cd12fc96  plugins/generic/misc.py
-64b052d1df6d7fe34d73b51196f68ae3  plugins/generic/search.py
+43dc0abb3b1ac9eb75e1f8512f95b80e  plugins/generic/search.py
 562cfa80a15d5f7f1d52e10c5736d7e2  plugins/generic/syntax.py
 25cc2788cc3da6f8a0bcff0e41ff586e  plugins/generic/takeover.py
 02c8da99874f1cfd869d9e3bbb7c84e6  plugins/generic/users.py