diff --git a/analyzers/src/SonarAnalyzer.CSharp/Rules/StaticFieldVisible.cs b/analyzers/src/SonarAnalyzer.CSharp/Rules/StaticFieldVisible.cs
index 786665489da..5d1d9e071fc 100644
--- a/analyzers/src/SonarAnalyzer.CSharp/Rules/StaticFieldVisible.cs
+++ b/analyzers/src/SonarAnalyzer.CSharp/Rules/StaticFieldVisible.cs
@@ -49,7 +49,8 @@ public sealed class StaticFieldVisible : SonarDiagnosticAnalyzer
             : Enumerable.Empty<Diagnostic>();
 
         private static bool FieldIsRelevant(FieldDeclarationSyntax node) =>
-            !node.Modifiers.Any(SyntaxKind.PrivateKeyword)
+            node.Modifiers.Any()
+            && !node.Modifiers.Any(SyntaxKind.PrivateKeyword)
             && node.Modifiers.Any(SyntaxKind.StaticKeyword)
             && !(node.Modifiers.Any(SyntaxKind.ConstKeyword) || node.Modifiers.Any(SyntaxKind.ReadOnlyKeyword));
 
diff --git a/analyzers/tests/SonarAnalyzer.UnitTest/TestCases/StaticFieldVisible.cs b/analyzers/tests/SonarAnalyzer.UnitTest/TestCases/StaticFieldVisible.cs
index b5b0a3d4137..371ba25e890 100644
--- a/analyzers/tests/SonarAnalyzer.UnitTest/TestCases/StaticFieldVisible.cs
+++ b/analyzers/tests/SonarAnalyzer.UnitTest/TestCases/StaticFieldVisible.cs
@@ -20,6 +20,8 @@ public class StaticFieldVisible
 
         private static double Pi8 = 3.14;
         private double Pi9 = 3.14;
+        static double Pi10 = 3.14; // Noncompliant "internal" is the default if no access modifier is specified
+                                   // https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/dotnet/csharp/programming-guide/classes-and-structs/access-modifiers
 
         [ThreadStatic]
         public static int value; // Compliant, thread static field values are not shared between threads