/usr/bin/passmass does not cope with RHEL5 password prompts

Issue

• Unable to run /usr/bin/passmass to change password on a remote host using ssh, rlogin, telnet.

# passmass -user newuser system1.example.com
old password:
new password:
retype new password:

spawn rlogin system1.example.com -l newuser

trying normal rlogin (/usr/bin/rlogin)
Password:
-bash-3.2$ passwd
Changing password for user newuser.
Changing password for newuser
(current) UNIX password:

passwd: Authentication token manipulation error
-bash-3.2$