diff --git a/src/core/api/crypto_api.cpp b/src/core/api/crypto_api.cpp
index df2ea8dab..9582b8aa3 100644
--- a/src/core/api/crypto_api.cpp
+++ b/src/core/api/crypto_api.cpp
@@ -69,7 +69,7 @@ void otCryptoAesCcm(
     assert((aKey != NULL) && (aNonce != NULL) && (aPlainText != NULL) && (aCipherText != NULL) && (aTag != NULL));
 
     SuccessOrExit(aesCcm.SetKey(aKey, aKeyLength));
-    aesCcm.Init(aHeaderLength, aLength, aTagLength, aNonce, aNonceLength);
+    SuccessOrExit(aesCcm.Init(aHeaderLength, aLength, aTagLength, aNonce, aNonceLength));
 
     if (aHeaderLength != 0)
     {
diff --git a/src/core/crypto/aes_ccm.cpp b/src/core/crypto/aes_ccm.cpp
index d5271fea9..f85cc9a71 100644
--- a/src/core/crypto/aes_ccm.cpp
+++ b/src/core/crypto/aes_ccm.cpp
@@ -47,10 +47,11 @@ otError AesCcm::SetKey(const uint8_t *aKey, uint16_t aKeyLength)
     return OT_ERROR_NONE;
 }
 
-void AesCcm::Init(uint32_t aHeaderLength, uint32_t aPlainTextLength, uint8_t aTagLength,
-                  const void *aNonce, uint8_t aNonceLength)
+otError AesCcm::Init(uint32_t aHeaderLength, uint32_t aPlainTextLength, uint8_t aTagLength,
+                     const void *aNonce, uint8_t aNonceLength)
 {
     const uint8_t *nonceBytes = reinterpret_cast<const uint8_t *>(aNonce);
+    otError error = OT_ERROR_NONE;
     uint8_t blockLength = 0;
     uint32_t len;
     uint8_t L;
@@ -63,6 +64,10 @@ void AesCcm::Init(uint32_t aHeaderLength, uint32_t aPlainTextLength, uint8_t aTa
     {
         aTagLength = sizeof(mBlock);
     }
+    else if (aTagLength < kTagLengthMin)
+    {
+        ExitNow(error = OT_ERROR_INVALID_ARGS);
+    }
 
     L = 0;
 
@@ -159,6 +164,9 @@ void AesCcm::Init(uint32_t aHeaderLength, uint32_t aPlainTextLength, uint8_t aTa
     mBlockLength = blockLength;
     mCtrLength = sizeof(mCtrPad);
     mTagLength = aTagLength;
+
+exit:
+    return error;
 }
 
 void AesCcm::Header(const void *aHeader, uint32_t aHeaderLength)
diff --git a/src/core/crypto/aes_ccm.hpp b/src/core/crypto/aes_ccm.hpp
index 444c2b2ff..6c31fac59 100644
--- a/src/core/crypto/aes_ccm.hpp
+++ b/src/core/crypto/aes_ccm.hpp
@@ -75,9 +75,12 @@ public:
      * @param[in]  aNonce            A pointer to the nonce.
      * @param[in]  aNonceLength      Length of nonce in bytes.
      *
+     * @retval OT_ERROR_NONE          Initialization was successful.
+     * @retval OT_ERROR_INVALID_ARGS  Initialization failed.
+     *
      */
-    void Init(uint32_t aHeaderLength, uint32_t aPlainTextLength, uint8_t aTagLength,
-              const void *aNonce, uint8_t aNonceLength);
+    otError Init(uint32_t aHeaderLength, uint32_t aPlainTextLength, uint8_t aTagLength,
+                 const void *aNonce, uint8_t aNonceLength);
 
     /**
      * This method processes the header.
@@ -109,6 +112,11 @@ public:
     void Finalize(void *aTag, uint8_t *aTagLength);
 
 private:
+    enum
+    {
+        kTagLengthMin = 4,
+    };
+
     AesEcb mEcb;
     uint8_t mBlock[AesEcb::kBlockSize];
     uint8_t mCtr[AesEcb::kBlockSize];
diff --git a/src/core/mac/mac.cpp b/src/core/mac/mac.cpp
index d259ac596..b9860a178 100644
--- a/src/core/mac/mac.cpp
+++ b/src/core/mac/mac.cpp
@@ -693,6 +693,7 @@ void Mac::ProcessTransmitSecurity(Frame &aFrame)
     Crypto::AesCcm aesCcm;
     const uint8_t *key = NULL;
     const ExtAddress *extAddress = NULL;
+    otError error;
 
     if (aFrame.GetSecurityEnabled() == false)
     {
@@ -759,7 +760,8 @@ void Mac::ProcessTransmitSecurity(Frame &aFrame)
     aesCcm.SetKey(key, 16);
     tagLength = aFrame.GetFooterLength() - Frame::kFcsSize;
 
-    aesCcm.Init(aFrame.GetHeaderLength(), aFrame.GetPayloadLength(), tagLength, nonce, sizeof(nonce));
+    error = aesCcm.Init(aFrame.GetHeaderLength(), aFrame.GetPayloadLength(), tagLength, nonce, sizeof(nonce));
+    assert(error == OT_ERROR_NONE);
 
     aesCcm.Header(aFrame.GetHeader(), aFrame.GetHeaderLength());
     aesCcm.Payload(aFrame.GetPayload(), aFrame.GetPayload(), aFrame.GetPayloadLength(), true);
@@ -1429,7 +1431,10 @@ otError Mac::ProcessReceiveSecurity(Frame &aFrame, const Address &aSrcAddr, Neig
     tagLength = aFrame.GetFooterLength() - Frame::kFcsSize;
 
     aesCcm.SetKey(macKey, 16);
-    aesCcm.Init(aFrame.GetHeaderLength(), aFrame.GetPayloadLength(), tagLength, nonce, sizeof(nonce));
+
+    error = aesCcm.Init(aFrame.GetHeaderLength(), aFrame.GetPayloadLength(), tagLength, nonce, sizeof(nonce));
+    VerifyOrExit(error == OT_ERROR_NONE, error = OT_ERROR_SECURITY);
+
     aesCcm.Header(aFrame.GetHeader(), aFrame.GetHeaderLength());
     aesCcm.Payload(aFrame.GetPayload(), aFrame.GetPayload(), aFrame.GetPayloadLength(), false);
     aesCcm.Finalize(tag, &tagLength);
diff --git a/src/core/thread/mle.cpp b/src/core/thread/mle.cpp
index 4361762ef..b4f8c21d0 100644
--- a/src/core/thread/mle.cpp
+++ b/src/core/thread/mle.cpp
@@ -1906,8 +1906,9 @@ otError Mle::SendMessage(Message &aMessage, const Ip6::Address &aDestination)
                       nonce);
 
         aesCcm.SetKey(netif.GetKeyManager().GetCurrentMleKey(), 16);
-        aesCcm.Init(16 + 16 + header.GetHeaderLength(), aMessage.GetLength() - (header.GetLength() - 1),
-                    sizeof(tag), nonce, sizeof(nonce));
+        error = aesCcm.Init(16 + 16 + header.GetHeaderLength(), aMessage.GetLength() - (header.GetLength() - 1),
+                            sizeof(tag), nonce, sizeof(nonce));
+        assert(error == OT_ERROR_NONE);
 
         aesCcm.Header(&mLinkLocal64.GetAddress(), sizeof(mLinkLocal64.GetAddress()));
         aesCcm.Header(&aDestination, sizeof(aDestination));
@@ -2051,8 +2052,11 @@ void Mle::HandleUdpReceive(Message &aMessage, const Ip6::MessageInfo &aMessageIn
     GenerateNonce(macAddr, frameCounter, Mac::Frame::kSecEncMic32, nonce);
 
     aesCcm.SetKey(mleKey, 16);
-    aesCcm.Init(sizeof(aMessageInfo.GetPeerAddr()) + sizeof(aMessageInfo.GetSockAddr()) + header.GetHeaderLength(),
-                aMessage.GetLength() - aMessage.GetOffset(), sizeof(messageTag), nonce, sizeof(nonce));
+    SuccessOrExit(aesCcm.Init(sizeof(aMessageInfo.GetPeerAddr()) + sizeof(aMessageInfo.GetSockAddr()) +
+                              header.GetHeaderLength(),
+                              aMessage.GetLength() - aMessage.GetOffset(),
+                              sizeof(messageTag), nonce, sizeof(nonce)));
+
     aesCcm.Header(&aMessageInfo.GetPeerAddr(), sizeof(aMessageInfo.GetPeerAddr()));
     aesCcm.Header(&aMessageInfo.GetSockAddr(), sizeof(aMessageInfo.GetSockAddr()));
     aesCcm.Header(header.GetBytes() + 1, header.GetHeaderLength());
diff --git a/tests/unit/test_aes.cpp b/tests/unit/test_aes.cpp
index a9f4d6f76..c9222fec9 100644
--- a/tests/unit/test_aes.cpp
+++ b/tests/unit/test_aes.cpp
@@ -106,70 +106,6 @@ void TestMacBeaconFrame(void)
     testFreeInstance(instance);
 }
 
-/**
- * Verifies test vectors from IEEE 802.15.4-2006 Annex C Section C.2.1
- */
-void TestMacDataFrame()
-{
-    uint8_t key[] =
-    {
-        0xc0, 0xc1, 0xc2, 0xc3, 0xc4, 0xc5, 0xc6, 0xc7,
-        0xc8, 0xc9, 0xca, 0xcb, 0xcc, 0xcd, 0xce, 0xcf,
-    };
-
-    uint8_t test[] =
-    {
-        0x69, 0xDC, 0x84, 0x21, 0x43, 0x02, 0x00, 0x00,
-        0x00, 0x00, 0x48, 0xDE, 0xAC, 0x01, 0x00, 0x00,
-        0x00, 0x00, 0x48, 0xDE, 0xAC, 0x04, 0x05, 0x00,
-        0x00, 0x00, 0x61, 0x62, 0x63, 0x64
-    };
-
-    uint8_t encrypted[] =
-    {
-        0x69, 0xDC, 0x84, 0x21, 0x43, 0x02, 0x00, 0x00,
-        0x00, 0x00, 0x48, 0xDE, 0xAC, 0x01, 0x00, 0x00,
-        0x00, 0x00, 0x48, 0xDE, 0xAC, 0x04, 0x05, 0x00,
-        0x00, 0x00, 0xD4, 0x3E, 0x02, 0x2B
-    };
-
-    uint8_t decrypted[] =
-    {
-        0x69, 0xDC, 0x84, 0x21, 0x43, 0x02, 0x00, 0x00,
-        0x00, 0x00, 0x48, 0xDE, 0xAC, 0x01, 0x00, 0x00,
-        0x00, 0x00, 0x48, 0xDE, 0xAC, 0x04, 0x05, 0x00,
-        0x00, 0x00, 0x61, 0x62, 0x63, 0x64
-    };
-
-    ot::Crypto::AesCcm aesCcm;
-    uint32_t headerLength = sizeof(test) - 4;
-    uint32_t payloadLength = 4;
-    uint8_t tagLength = 0;
-
-    uint8_t nonce[] =
-    {
-        0xAC, 0xDE, 0x48, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x01,
-        0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x05, 0x04,
-    };
-
-    aesCcm.SetKey(key, sizeof(key));
-    aesCcm.Init(headerLength, payloadLength, tagLength, nonce, sizeof(nonce));
-    aesCcm.Header(test, headerLength);
-    aesCcm.Payload(test + headerLength, test + headerLength, payloadLength, true);
-    aesCcm.Finalize(test + headerLength + payloadLength, &tagLength);
-
-    VerifyOrQuit(memcmp(test, encrypted, sizeof(encrypted)) == 0,
-                 "TestMacDataFrame encrypt failed");
-
-    aesCcm.Init(headerLength, payloadLength, tagLength, nonce, sizeof(nonce));
-    aesCcm.Header(test, headerLength);
-    aesCcm.Payload(test + headerLength, test + headerLength, payloadLength, false);
-    aesCcm.Finalize(test + headerLength + payloadLength, &tagLength);
-
-    VerifyOrQuit(memcmp(test, decrypted, sizeof(decrypted)) == 0,
-                 "TestMacDataFrame decrypt failed");
-}
-
 /**
  * Verifies test vectors from IEEE 802.15.4-2006 Annex C Section C.2.3
  */
@@ -239,7 +175,6 @@ void TestMacCommandFrame()
 int main(void)
 {
     TestMacBeaconFrame();
-    TestMacDataFrame();
     TestMacCommandFrame();
     printf("All tests passed\n");
     return 0;
diff --git a/tests/unit/test_windows.cpp b/tests/unit/test_windows.cpp
index 8bc151199..cfd002387 100644
--- a/tests/unit/test_windows.cpp
+++ b/tests/unit/test_windows.cpp
@@ -37,7 +37,6 @@ using namespace Microsoft::VisualStudio::CppUnitTestFramework;
 
 // test_aes.cpp
 void TestMacBeaconFrame();
-void TestMacDataFrame();
 void TestMacCommandFrame();
 
 // test_hmac_sha256.cpp
@@ -133,7 +132,6 @@ namespace ot
 
         // test_aes.cpp
         TEST_METHOD(TestMacBeaconFrame) { ::TestMacBeaconFrame(); }
-        TEST_METHOD(TestMacDataFrame) { ::TestMacDataFrame(); }
         TEST_METHOD(TestMacCommandFrame) { ::TestMacCommandFrame(); }
 
         // test_hmac_sha256.cpp