The same can happen with any piece of software in the world. Why single out extensions?
As well as almost all regular software is backed by some large company with legal presence to hold responsible. The same can not be said for most extensions.
This is also true of web extensions. I suspect you've never developed one. You can't read another extension's data. It's also not true on desktop platforms. The user is still the security domain in desktop computing.
> As well as almost all regular software is backed by some large company with legal presence to hold responsible. The same can not [sic] be said for most extensions.
Is this true? All the browser extensions I use are published by a real legal entity that can be sued if they are negligent. What corner of the web are you on?
Regarding extensions code: indeed, I do read the code of extensions that require some elevated permissions, if these extensions are not otherwise vetted. This is why I avoid installing excessively complicated extensions, unless they ask for minor permissions. Having the list of tabs if no big deal; accessing data in your tabs, even for a particular site, triggers scrutiny.