> This is a real problem, and AI is a new vector for it, but the root cause is the lack of reliable trust and security around packages in general.

I agree. And the problem has intensified due to the explosion of dependencies.

> Has there been any work on limiting the permissions of modules?

With respect to PyPI, npm, and the like, and as far as I know: no. But regarding C and generally things you can control relatively easily yourself, see for instance:

https://hn.algolia.com/?dateRange=all&page=0&prefix=true&que...