Patch Django admin to hide useless default permissions.Import this file somewhere in an `__init__.py` or `admin.py` file.

patch_admin_permissions_list.py

"""
Hide permission in the Django admin which are irrelevant, and not used at all.
"""
from django.contrib import admin
from django.contrib.auth.admin import GroupAdmin, UserAdmin
from django.contrib.auth.models import Group, User


class PermissionFilterMixin(object):
    def formfield_for_manytomany(self, db_field, request=None, **kwargs):
        if db_field.name in ('permissions', 'user_permissions'):
            qs = kwargs.get('queryset', db_field.remote_field.model.objects)
            qs = _filter_permissions(qs)
            kwargs['queryset'] = qs

        return super(PermissionFilterMixin, self).formfield_for_manytomany(db_field, request, **kwargs)


class MyGroupAdmin(PermissionFilterMixin, GroupAdmin):
    pass


class MyUserAdmin(PermissionFilterMixin, UserAdmin):
    pass


admin.site.unregister(User)
admin.site.unregister(Group)
admin.site.register(User, MyUserAdmin)
admin.site.register(Group, MyGroupAdmin)


def _filter_permissions(qs):
    return qs.exclude(codename__in=(
        # Has no admin interface:
        'add_permission',
        'change_permission',
        'delete_permission',

        'add_contenttype',
        'change_contenttype',
        'delete_contenttype',

        'add_session',
        'delete_session',
        'change_session',

        # django.contrib.admin
        'add_logentry',
        'change_logentry',
        'delete_logentry',

        # sorl-thumbnail    
        'add_kvstore',
        'change_kvstore',
        'delete_kvstore',

        # south
        'add_migrationhistory',
        'change_migrationhistory',
        'delete_migrationhistory',

        # django-admin-tools    
        'add_dashboardpreferences',
        'change_dashboardpreferences',
        'delete_dashboardpreferences',

        'add_bookmark',
        'change_bookmark',
        'delete_bookmark',
    )) \
    .exclude(codename__endswith='userobjectpermission') \
    .exclude(codename__endswith='groupobjectpermission')  # django-guardian

Just in case anyone needs this in Django 3, replace db_field.rel.to.objects with db_field.remote_field.model.objects

Just in case anyone needs this in Django 3, replace db_field.rel.to.objects with db_field.remote_field.model.objects

Thanks, I've updated the gist!