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Bolsonaro was driven through a crowd on the shoulders of supporters in the town of Juiz de Fora, in the southern state of Minhas Gervais, when an attacker stabbed him from the front and he seemed to scream in pain, showing a video.
One person was arrested. "A police investigation was opened to determine the circumstances," said the federal police.
The attack on Bolsonaro, known for his racist, sexist and homophobic remarks, further exacerbated tensions weeks ahead of the October elections.
Recent polls say Bolsonaro is the favorite to win the election with a 10% lead over his closest rival, former president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.
However, doctors at the Santa Casa Hospital, where Bolsonaro was taken for surgery, said his injuries could interrupt his campaign, his recovery may take days or weeks.
Earlier, his family thought his injury was superficial, but later they reported that there had been fears for his life.
"Unfortunately, it was more serious than we expected," tweeted his son Flavio Bolsonaro. "The wound has reached part of his liver, lungs and intestines, he has lost a lot of blood, has reached the hospital … almost died … his condition now seems stable, please pray "
His other son, Eduardo Bolsonaro, said that if the hospital was not nearby, he could have died.
The doctors said they found internal bleeding and lacerations to the small and large intestines and not to his liver. Bolsonaro may have to undergo another surgery in the coming months.
Human Rights Watch condemned the attack.
"Political or ideological differences should only be resolved through democratic processes and never by violence," the monitoring group said in a statement. "The Brazilian authorities should conduct a prompt, impartial and thorough investigation into this crime and ensure that justice is done."
Lula da Silva has been in prison since April after being sentenced to 12 years in prison for corruption and money laundering. The charges against him emerged after he left office in 2011.
The 72-year-old has firmly denied any wrongdoing. His defense stated that he was a victim of political persecution.
Lula da Silva's likely replacement as party candidate Fernando Haddad tweeted that he "repudiated any act of violence" and wished Bolsonaro a speedy recovery.
Marilia Brocchetto of CNN and Francho Baron and journalist Shasta Darlington contributed to this report.
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