diff --git a/lib/core/settings.py b/lib/core/settings.py
index 4f2481bd6..263a48ac3 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 = "1.3.8.12"
+VERSION = "1.3.8.13"
 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)
@@ -540,7 +540,7 @@ BRUTE_TABLE_EXISTS_TEMPLATE = "EXISTS(SELECT %d FROM %s)"
 BRUTE_COLUMN_EXISTS_TEMPLATE = "EXISTS(SELECT %s FROM %s)"
 
 # Data inside shellcodeexec to be filled with random string
-SHELLCODEEXEC_RANDOM_STRING_MARKER = "XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX"
+SHELLCODEEXEC_RANDOM_STRING_MARKER = b"XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX"
 
 # Period after last-update to start nagging about the old revision
 LAST_UPDATE_NAGGING_DAYS = 60
diff --git a/lib/takeover/metasploit.py b/lib/takeover/metasploit.py
index 7c32a7d48..cd22b1606 100644
--- a/lib/takeover/metasploit.py
+++ b/lib/takeover/metasploit.py
@@ -634,7 +634,7 @@ class Metasploit(object):
             self.shellcodeexecLocal = os.path.join(self.shellcodeexecLocal, "windows", "shellcodeexec.x%s.exe_" % "32")
             content = decloak(self.shellcodeexecLocal)
             if SHELLCODEEXEC_RANDOM_STRING_MARKER in content:
-                content = content.replace(SHELLCODEEXEC_RANDOM_STRING_MARKER, randomStr(len(SHELLCODEEXEC_RANDOM_STRING_MARKER)))
+                content = content.replace(SHELLCODEEXEC_RANDOM_STRING_MARKER, getBytes(randomStr(len(SHELLCODEEXEC_RANDOM_STRING_MARKER))))
                 _ = cloak(data=content)
                 handle, self.shellcodeexecLocal = tempfile.mkstemp(suffix="%s.exe_" % "32")
                 os.close(handle)