diff --git a/src/core/thread/mesh_forwarder.cpp b/src/core/thread/mesh_forwarder.cpp
index 0b07174c0..ca24fa41c 100644
--- a/src/core/thread/mesh_forwarder.cpp
+++ b/src/core/thread/mesh_forwarder.cpp
@@ -75,10 +75,24 @@ void ThreadLinkInfo::SetFrom(const Mac::RxFrame &aFrame)
         mIsDstPanIdBroadcast = (dstPanId == Mac::kPanIdBroadcast);
     }
 
-    mChannel      = aFrame.GetChannel();
-    mRss          = aFrame.GetRssi();
-    mLqi          = aFrame.GetLqi();
-    mLinkSecurity = aFrame.GetSecurityEnabled();
+    if (aFrame.GetSecurityEnabled())
+    {
+        uint8_t keyIdMode;
+
+        // MAC Frame Security was already validated at the MAC
+        // layer. As a result, `GetKeyIdMode()` will never return
+        // failure here.
+        IgnoreError(aFrame.GetKeyIdMode(keyIdMode));
+
+        mLinkSecurity = (keyIdMode == Mac::Frame::kKeyIdMode0) || (keyIdMode == Mac::Frame::kKeyIdMode1);
+    }
+    else
+    {
+        mLinkSecurity = false;
+    }
+    mChannel = aFrame.GetChannel();
+    mRss     = aFrame.GetRssi();
+    mLqi     = aFrame.GetLqi();
 #if OPENTHREAD_CONFIG_TIME_SYNC_ENABLE
     if (aFrame.GetTimeIe() != nullptr)
     {