password echoes on `ssh $host passwd`

[keoki seu]

Hello,
When i ssh to a machine and run a command which asks for masked
characters (ie a password), the characters which supposed to not show
up echo to the screen. I use a public/private key, so there isnt any
ssh authentication.

castor:~$ ssh -V
OpenSSH_3.8.1, OpenSSL 0.9.7d 17 Mar 2004
castor:~$ dmesg|head -2
OpenBSD 3.6-beta (GENERIC) #3: Thu Aug 12 00:01:53 EDT 2004
    keoki at castor.my.domain:/usr/src/sys/arch/i386/compile/GENERIC
castor:~$ ssh castor passwd
Old password:neato

I am wondering if this behavior is expected?  I have also seen this
using a sudo command, `ssh $computer sudo $cmd`.  If sudo is configured
to ask for a password, those characters will echo to the terminal.

thanks,
keoki